Published Date : 25/06/2025
In the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into penetration testing methodologies is becoming increasingly important. One notable tool in this domain is the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot, developed by Jason Haddix. This bot leverages up-to-date technical information to assist in application security and penetration testing.
Jason Haddix, a well-known figure in the cybersecurity community, created the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot to help security professionals and penetration testers. The bot is available on platforms like chatgpt.com/gpts and can be a valuable tool in identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities.
To explore the capabilities of the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot, I used OWASP’s intentionally vulnerable Juice Shop web application. This application is a popular choice for testing and learning about web security vulnerabilities. It’s important to note that when performing penetration tests, client confidentiality is paramount. Therefore, it’s crucial to avoid sending sensitive customer information to remote language models and to use local, on-premises models for real-world tests.
Initially, I attempted to paste the entire main.js file from the Juice Shop application into the Arcanum chatbot’s prompt form. However, the file was too large, and the bot returned an error. To make the file more manageable, I used the parallel-prettier tool to format and break up the file into smaller chunks.
The first chunk of the JavaScript file was submitted to the Arcanum bot, which quickly identified a list of API endpoints within the code. This is a crucial step in penetration testing, as it helps identify potential attack surfaces. The bot even attempted to provide documentation for the API calls, which is incredibly helpful for understanding the application’s functionality.
The bot’s analysis continued, and it identified hacking tutorial content within the source code, recognizing that the code was part of an intentionally vulnerable web application. It even called out the application by name, demonstrating its ability to contextually understand the code’s purpose.
The response from the bot included suggestions for possible attack paths. This is where the real value of the bot becomes apparent. It not only identifies vulnerabilities but also provides ideas for exploiting them. The bot then asked if I wanted proof-of-concept (PoC) exploits for the identified vulnerabilities. I confirmed, and the bot generated the PoCs, which can be used to validate the identified vulnerabilities.
The bot also provided guidance on using Intruder, a tool in the Burp Suite, to perform attacks against the reported vulnerabilities. It included various payloads for each attack, making the process more efficient and effective. Additionally, the bot offered Python code to automate the attacks, further streamlining the penetration testing process.
The bot then suggested checking for other advanced vulnerabilities and provided payloads and automation scripts for these as well. However, it eventually veered off track, offering information on unrelated offensive security topics such as post-exploitation and cloud attacks. Despite this, the overall experience with the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot was highly positive.
In summary, the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of penetration testing. It provides quick and accurate analysis of JavaScript code, identifies vulnerabilities, and generates PoCs and automation scripts. However, it’s important to use such tools responsibly, ensuring the confidentiality of client data and avoiding over-reliance on AI.
Overall, the integration of AI into penetration testing workflows offers both benefits and challenges. The time savings and automated analysis provided by AI tools like the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot can greatly improve the performance of penetration testers. However, it’s crucial to maintain a balance, ensuring that the use of AI does not become a hindrance to the actual work being performed. As the field of cybersecurity continues to evolve, the potential for AI to enhance penetration testing methodologies is vast, and I am excited to explore more ways to leverage AI in my work.
Ready to learn more? Level up your skills with affordable classes from Antisyphon! Available live/virtual and on-demand.
Q: What is the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot?
A: The Arcanum Cyber Security Bot is an AI tool created by Jason Haddix to assist in application security and penetration testing. It can analyze code, identify vulnerabilities, and generate proof-of-concept exploits.
Q: How does the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot work?
A: The bot leverages up-to-date technical information to analyze code, identify API endpoints, and suggest potential attack paths. It can also generate proof-of-concept exploits and provide automation scripts for testing.
Q: What are the benefits of using AI in penetration testing?
A: Using AI in penetration testing can save time, automate repetitive tasks, and provide accurate analysis of code and vulnerabilities. It can help penetration testers focus on more complex and strategic aspects of their work.
Q: What are the challenges of using AI in penetration testing?
A: Challenges include ensuring the confidentiality of client data, avoiding over-reliance on AI, and maintaining the context awareness of the testing environment. Ethical considerations and the potential for AI to go off track are also important.
Q: Can the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot be used for real-world penetration tests?
A: Yes, the Arcanum Cyber Security Bot can be used for real-world penetration tests, but it’s important to use local, on-premises models to ensure client data confidentiality and to maintain control over the testing environment.