Burp AI: Scanning Vulnerabilities with AI?

Burp Suite, created by PortSwigger, is a household name for anyone in web security. It’s the go-to tool for scanning websites, intercepting traffic, and finding vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and more. With the release of Burp Suite Professional 2025.2.2.3, PortSwigger introduced Burp AI—a set of intelligent features designed to enhance your testing without taking over your job. Think of it as a super-smart assistant that automates tedious tasks, reduces false positives, and provides deeper insights into vulnerabilities.

Unlike traditional automation, Burp AI isn’t about running everything on autopilot. It’s built to work alongside you, leveraging decades of security expertise to make your penetration testing smoother and more effective. Whether you’re a seasoned ethical hacker or just dipping your toes into web security, Burp AI offers tools to level up your game. In this article, we’ll walk through a hands-on demo, explore its features, and see how it tackles real-world vulnerabilities—all from the comfort of a Kali Linux virtual machine.

Getting Started: Setting Up Burp Suite Professional

To kick things off, let’s set up our environment. I’m running Kali Linux in a virtual machine, a popular choice for security testing because it comes packed with tools like Burp Suite Community Edition. For this demo, though, we’re going all-in with Burp Suite Professional to unlock those shiny AI features. Here’s how we get it up and running:

1. Download Burp Suite Professional: Head over to portswigger.net, the official home of Burp Suite. Log in (or sign up if you haven’t already) and grab the latest version of Burp Suite Professional. It’s a straightforward bash script (.sh file) that makes installation a breeze.
2. Install the Tool: Open a terminal in Kali Linux (Ctrl + Alt + T), navigate to your preferred directory (I use /opt for external tools), and copy the downloaded script there. Mark it as executable with chmod +x burpsuite_pro.sh, then run it with ./burpsuite_pro.sh. The installer requires Java Runtime Environment, which Kali Linux handles without a hitch.
3. Configure and Launch: Follow the prompts to install Burp Suite in your chosen directory. Launch it, enter your license key, and set up a temporary project in memory (perfect for quick demos). Stick with the default settings for now, and boom—Burp Suite Professional 2025.2.2.3 is ready to roll.

Once launched, you’ll notice a sleek interface with a new addition: a Burp AI badge in the bottom right corner. It proudly declares, “AI-powered penetration testing starts here.” The interface is customizable—switch to dark mode if you’re a night owl—and offers a quick tour of the AI features. Let’s dive deeper into what makes Burp AI tick.

Burp AI isn’t about replacing your expertise; it’s about amplifying it. Here’s the gist: it uses intelligent automation to streamline tasks like vulnerability scanning, false positive reduction, and issue exploration. Unlike fully autonomous tools, Burp AI gives you control, letting you decide when and how to leverage its capabilities. It’s built on PortSwigger’s decades of security know-how, so it’s like having a seasoned pentester whispering tips in your ear.

One thing to note: Burp AI operates on an online model, meaning it relies on PortSwigger’s AI infrastructure rather than a local-only setup. This raises valid questions about security and privacy, which PortSwigger addresses head-on. According to their documentation, Burp AI is designed with transparency in mind—no data is stored or used for training by third-party AI providers. You’re in the driver’s seat, choosing when to activate AI features. For extra peace of mind, they’ve introduced an MCP server extension (available in the Burp Suite App Store) for those who want more control over their setup.

Burp AI uses a credit system, so each AI-powered task—like exploring a vulnerability or reducing false positives—consumes credits. If you run out, you can pause scans, get alerts, or continue without AI enhancements. It’s a flexible setup that respects your workflow and threat model. Now, let’s put Burp AI to the test with a deliberately vulnerable web app.

For our demo, we’re using OWASP Juice Shop (juice-shop.herokuapp.com), a deliberately insecure web application designed for testing vulnerability scanners. It’s packed with flaws like XSS, SQL injection, and broken access control—perfect for showcasing Burp AI’s capabilities. Juice Shop even provides a list of vulnerabilities and sample credentials (username: Carlos, password: Hunter2) to simulate authenticated testing.

Before we start scanning, we need to configure Burp Suite to focus on Juice Shop. Here’s the setup:

1. Set the Target Scope: In Burp Suite, head to the “Target” tab and add http://juice-shop.herokuapp.com and https://juice-shop.herokuapp.com to the scope. This ensures Burp only analyzes traffic from Juice Shop, keeping your scans clean and compliant with testing boundaries (crucial for bug bounties or client engagements).
2. Use the Built-In Browser: Burp Suite Professional includes a preconfigured Chromium browser, which eliminates the hassle of setting up proxy certificates in Firefox or Chrome. Launch it from the “Proxy” tab, and you’re ready to browse Juice Shop while Burp intercepts every request.
3. Explore Juice Shop: Open the built-in browser and navigate to Juice Shop. Click around—view products, add items to the cart, try the search bar, or log in with the provided credentials. This manual exploration generates HTTP traffic for Burp to analyze, setting the stage for our scans.

With the scope defined and traffic flowing, let’s fire up Burp AI and see what vulnerabilities we can uncover.

Scanning with Burp AI

Burp Suite’s “Dashboard” tab is your command center for scans. By default, it runs live audits and passive crawls as you browse, flagging low-severity issues like missing headers or informational findings. For this demo, let’s start fresh with a custom scan to leverage Burp AI’s full potential.

1. Create a New Scan: In the “Dashboard” tab, click “New Scan” and select “Crawl and Audit.” This option scans the entire site and checks for vulnerabilities. You’ll see a checkbox for AI-powered features, like reducing false positives for broken access control. Enable it (noting it requires AI credits) and proceed.
2. Define the Target: Set the scan URL to juice-shop.herokuapp.com, matching our scope. This ensures Burp focuses solely on Juice Shop.
3. Add Credentials: Since Juice Shop provides login details, add them (Carlos/Hunter2) for an authenticated scan. This lets Burp explore restricted areas of the app, like user dashboards or order histories.
4. Choose Scan Settings: Select a “Balanced” scan mode for a mix of speed and thoroughness. You can tweak resource pools or scan speed, but defaults work fine for now. Hit “Scan” to start.

As the scan runs, Burp AI kicks into gear, crawling pages, auditing requests, and analyzing responses. The live task updates in real-time, showing crawled URLs, sent requests, and detected issues. Let’s keep browsing Juice Shop to feed more data into the scan—clicking products, testing search inputs, and applying fake coupon codes to trigger potential vulnerabilities.

Digging into Vulnerabilities

After a few minutes, the scan starts popping off with findings. Burp AI doesn’t just list vulnerabilities; it provides context, explores issues, and validates exploits. Let’s break down some of the juicy ones we found in Juice Shop.

1. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Finding: Burp flags a reflected XSS vulnerability in the username parameter of the login page. The payload <script>alert(1)</script> was copied into a JavaScript string, triggering code execution.

Burp AI’s Role: Click the “Explore Issue” button (marked with a sparkling star), and Burp AI takes over. It tests variations of the XSS payload, checks for data exfiltration, and tries to bypass filters. The task summary confirms: “Successfully validated JavaScript injection in the login page’s username parameter.”

Manual Validation: To see it in action, log out of Juice Shop, revisit the login page, and submit the payload in the username field. An alert box pops up, proving the XSS is exploitable. Burp AI’s exploration saves time by confirming the issue and suggesting next steps, like testing for session theft.

2. SQL Injection

Finding: The category parameter in Juice Shop’s search feature is vulnerable to SQL injection. A single quote (') causes an internal server error, while two quotes ('') returns a normal page, indicating a query-breaking flaw.

Burp AI’s Role: The “Explore Issue” feature dives deep, testing union-based SQL injection. It determines the query has eight columns (using ORDER BY and UNION SELECT), identifies the second column as displayable, and queries the database for table names. The summary reports: “Confirmed SQL injection in the category parameter, exposing a users table with username and password columns.”

Manual Validation: In the browser, append '+UNION+SELECT+NULL,SQLtest,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL,NULL-- to the category URL. The page displays “SQLtest,” confirming the injection. Burp AI’s automated column counting and table enumeration saved hours of manual probing.

3. HTTP Response Header Injection

Finding: The category parameter allows header injection via CRLF characters (%0D%0A), letting attackers inject arbitrary headers or manipulate cookies.

Burp AI’s Role: Burp AI crafts a payload with a fake Set-Cookie header and confirms it’s injectable alongside legitimate cookies. The summary notes: “HTTP response header injection confirmed, but application controls limit cookie manipulation impact.”

Manual Validation: Send the request to Burp’s Repeater tab, tweak the payload, and observe the response headers. The injected header appears, proving the flaw. Burp AI’s exploration highlights potential risks, like cache poisoning, for further investigation.

4. Broken Access Control

Finding: Burp AI identifies a potential broken access control issue but labels it a false positive after analysis. The page in question displays promotional content without sensitive data or authentication requirements.

Burp AI’s Role: The AI-powered false positive reduction feature analyzes the issue and confirms it’s not a concern, saving you from chasing dead ends. This is a game-changer for large scans with hundreds of alerts.

Burp AI’s Hidden Gems

Burp AI isn’t just about finding vulnerabilities—it’s packed with features to streamline your workflow:

• Explainer Tool: Highlight any response (e.g., an error code) in the “Inspector” tab, right-click, and select “Explain This.” Burp AI provides a plain-English breakdown, perfect for learning or documenting findings. For example, explaining a 500 Internal Server Error clarifies its link to SQL injection.
• AI-Powered Login Recording: Instead of manually configuring credentials, Burp AI captures login traffic automatically, ensuring scans cover authenticated areas. This would’ve simplified our Juice Shop setup.
• Extensions and APIs: Burp AI integrates with extensions like SQLMap, letting you combine AI insights with other tools. The API also allows custom AI-powered extensions, opening doors for advanced automation.
• Task Logs: Every AI action—payload tests, column counts, or header injections—is logged in the task summary. This transparency helps you understand what Burp AI tried and why, making it easier to replicate or expand on its work.

Why Burp AI Shines

What makes Burp AI stand out? It’s not just the tech—it’s the philosophy. Here’s why it’s a win for pentesters:

1. Augmentation, Not Automation: Burp AI doesn’t replace your skills; it enhances them. While it tests SQL injection, you can explore XSS or XXE, dividing and conquering like a pro.
2. Seamless Integration: It fits right into Burp Suite’s familiar interface. No need to learn a new tool—just click “Explore Issue” or enable AI enhancements.
3. Time-Saving Insights: By reducing false positives and automating repetitive tasks, Burp AI lets you focus on high-impact findings.
4. Transparency and Control: With clear documentation, credit-based usage, and optional AI toggles, you decide how much AI to use and when.
5. Learning Opportunities: The explainer and task logs double as teaching tools, helping beginners understand vulnerabilities and pros refine their techniques.

Real-World Applications

While Juice Shop is a controlled environment, Burp AI’s features translate directly to real-world scenarios:

• Bug Bounties: Use AI to quickly validate XSS or SQL injection findings, speeding up your submissions.
• Client Engagements: Reduce false positives to deliver cleaner reports, impressing clients with efficiency.
• Security Audits: Automate login handling and issue exploration to cover large apps without burning out.
• Learning and Training: Practice on vulnerable apps like Juice Shop, using Burp AI’s explanations to master web security concepts.

Limitations and Considerations

No tool is perfect, and Burp AI has a few quirks to keep in mind:

• Credit System: AI features require credits, which can run out during deep scans. Plan your usage or disable AI for less critical tasks.
• Non-Deterministic Results: Like all AI, Burp AI’s outputs may vary slightly between runs. This is rarely a dealbreaker, as the context remains consistent.
• Online Model: The reliance on PortSwigger’s infrastructure might concern some users, though their privacy measures are robust.
• Learning Curve: While user-friendly, mastering Burp AI’s full potential takes practice, especially for custom extensions or API integrations.

Conclusion

Burp AI is like a trusty battle buddy for web security testing. It slots seamlessly into Burp Suite, automating tedious tasks, validating vulnerabilities, and offering insights that make you a better pentester. Whether you’re hunting bugs, auditing apps, or learning the ropes, it’s a tool that grows with you.

Want to try it yourself? Spin up Kali Linux, grab Burp Suite Professional, and point it at Juice Shop. Play with the AI features—explore issues, explain errors, and see how it streamlines your workflow. The results might surprise you, and every scan is a chance to learn something new.

As PortSwigger continues to refine Burp AI (think Collaborator integration or new extensions), it’s only going to get better. So, kick the tires, experiment, and let Burp AI be your wingman in the wild world of web security.