Authentication and Session Management Issues

Failed authentication prevents comprehensive security testing of protected application areas. Debug authentication by manually performing login while proxying through ZAP, then examining captured requests. Verify authentication scripts correctly replicate manual login processes. Check for additional hidden fields, dynamic tokens, or JavaScript-generated values that scripts must include.

Session management complexity in modern applications challenges ZAP's authentication handling. Multi-factor authentication, OAuth flows, and SAML assertions require sophisticated handling. For complex authentication, consider recording authentication sequences using ZAP's session recording features rather than writing scripts. Some scenarios require manual authentication with session tokens extracted for automated scanning.

Token expiration during long scans interrupts testing and produces incomplete results. Configure session timeout handling appropriate to your application. Some applications provide refresh token mechanisms that scripts can leverage. Others require complete re-authentication. Monitor scan logs for authentication failures and adjust handling accordingly.