> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vigolium.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Scanning Modes Overview > Pick the right scanning mode based on what you have: a URL, source code, an AI agent, or all of the above. Vigolium Native Scan Vigolium supports multiple scanning modes depending on what you have available: just a URL, source code, an AI agent, or all of the above. This document helps you pick the right mode and understand the execution pipeline. ## Scanning Modes at a Glance | Mode | What You Need | Command | What It Does | | -------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Lite** | URL | `vigolium scan -t URL --strategy lite` | Audit only, no discovery | | **Balanced** | URL | `vigolium scan -t URL` | Discovery + spidering + known-issue-scan + dynamic-assessment | | **Deep** | URL | `vigolium scan -t URL --strategy deep` | Adds external harvesting to balanced | | **Extension** | URL + JS extensions | `vigolium run extension -t URL --ext script.js` | Run only custom extension modules | | **Agent, Query** | Source code + provider | `vigolium agent query --prompt-template security-code-review --source ./app` | One-shot AI code review | | **Agent, Swarm** | URL (+ optional source) | `vigolium agent swarm -t URL [--source ./app]` | AI plans modules + JS extensions, native scanner runs them | | **Agent, Autopilot** | URL (+ optional source) | `vigolium agent autopilot -t URL [--source ./app]` | AI drives bash/files/CLI autonomously | | **Agent, Audit** | Source code | `vigolium agent audit --source ./app --mode deep` | Multi-phase whitebox security audit (driver dispatcher: `--driver auto\|both\|audit\|piolium`) | ## Decision Guide ``` Do you have application source code? ├── No │ ├── Quick single-URL test? ──────────────── vigolium scan-url │ ├── Want fast results? ──────────────────── vigolium scan -t URL --strategy lite │ ├── Standard scan? ──────────────────────── vigolium scan -t URL │ ├── Maximum external recon? ─────────────── vigolium scan -t URL --strategy deep │ ├── AI-guided targeted scan? ────────────── vigolium agent swarm -t URL │ ├── AI-driven autonomous pentest? ───────── vigolium agent autopilot -t URL │ └── Custom extension scripts only? ──────── vigolium run extension -t URL --ext script.js │ └── Yes ├── One-shot code review? ──────────────── vigolium agent query --prompt-template security-code-review --source ./app ├── Multi-phase code audit? ────────────── vigolium agent audit --source ./app --mode deep ├── AI-guided dynamic scan w/ source? ──── vigolium agent swarm -t URL --source ./app --code-audit └── Autonomous pentest w/ source? ──────── vigolium agent autopilot -t URL --source ./app ``` ## Phase Execution Pipeline Phases execute in this order. Each strategy enables a subset of these phases: ``` 1. Heuristics Check Pre-flight probe (detect WAF, redirects, tech stack) 2. External Harvesting Query Wayback, CommonCrawl, AlienVault OTX, URLScan, VirusTotal 3. Discovery Content discovery (brute-force dirs/files, JS analysis) 4. Spidering Browser-based crawling (Chromium), SPA support, form filling 5. KnownIssueScan Nuclei templates + Kingfisher secret scanning 6. Dynamic-Assessment Active + passive scanner modules against all discovered endpoints (user-supplied JS/YAML extensions also dispatch here) ``` ## Strategy Comparison | Phase | Lite | Balanced | Deep | | ------------------- | :--: | :------: | :--: | | External Harvesting | - | - | yes | | Discovery | - | yes | yes | | Spidering | - | yes | yes | | KnownIssueScan | - | yes | yes | | Dynamic-Assessment | yes | yes | yes | **Balanced** is the default strategy when `--strategy` is not specified. ## Phase Aliases The canonical phase names are `discovery`, `spidering`, `dynamic-assessment`, and `extension`. The following aliases work with `--only` and `--skip`: | Alias | Canonical Phase | | ------------ | -------------------- | | `deparos` | `discovery` | | `discover` | `discovery` | | `spitolas` | `spidering` | | `audit` | `dynamic-assessment` | | `dast` | `dynamic-assessment` | | `assessment` | `dynamic-assessment` | | `ext` | `extension` | ## Phase Control: `--only` and `--skip` These two flags are **mutually exclusive**. Using both produces an error. ### `--only `: Run a Single Phase Disables all other phases and turns off heuristics. ```bash theme={null} # Run only content discovery vigolium scan -t https://example.com --only discovery # Run only the dynamic-assessment phase (active + passive vulnerability scan) vigolium scan -t https://example.com --only dynamic-assessment # Aliases also work: # vigolium scan -t https://example.com --only audit # Run only custom extensions (skip built-in modules) vigolium scan -t https://example.com --only extension --ext my-scanner.js # Or using the alias: vigolium scan -t https://example.com --only ext --ext my-scanner.js ``` Valid values: `ingestion`, `discovery` (`deparos`/`discover`), `spidering` (`spitolas`), `external-harvest`, `known-issue-scan`, `dynamic-assessment` (`audit`/`dast`/`assessment`), `extension` (`ext`). ### `--skip `: Skip Specific Phases Disables named phases while keeping all others enabled by the strategy. ```bash theme={null} # Skip spidering in a balanced scan vigolium scan -t https://example.com --skip spidering # Skip both discovery and known-issue-scan vigolium scan -t https://example.com --skip discovery --skip known-issue-scan ``` ### `vigolium run ` Shortcut `vigolium run ` is a direct alias for `vigolium scan --only `: ```bash theme={null} # These are equivalent: vigolium run discovery -t https://example.com vigolium scan -t https://example.com --only discovery # Run only extension modules: vigolium run extension -t https://example.com --ext my-scanner.js ``` ## Scanning Profiles A **scanning strategy** only toggles phases on/off. A **scanning profile** goes further, it bundles strategy, pace, scope, discovery, spidering, and module configuration into a single YAML file that overrides the main config when selected. ### Using a Profile ```bash theme={null} # Use the built-in standard profile vigolium scan -t https://example.com --scanning-profile standard # Use a custom profile by name (resolved from profiles_dir) vigolium scan -t https://example.com --scanning-profile api-pentest # Use a profile by path vigolium scan -t https://example.com --scanning-profile ~/profiles/custom.yaml # List available profiles and strategies vigolium strategy ls ``` ### Creating a Custom Profile Create a YAML file in `~/.vigolium/profiles/`. The first line can contain a `# description:` comment that appears in `vigolium strategy ls`. A profile can override any combination of these config sections (omitted sections keep their main config values): ```yaml theme={null} # description: Fast API-focused scan with minimal discovery scanning_strategy: default_strategy: lite scanning_pace: concurrency: 100 rate_limit: 200 discovery: mode: files_only known_issue_scan: enrich_targets: false # host-level only (faster) dynamic-assessment: max_findings_per_module: 10 # cap noisy modules enabled_modules: active_modules: - sqli-error-based - xss-reflected-brutelogic passive_modules: - all scope: path: include: - "/api/*" ``` Overridable sections: `scanning_strategy`, `scanning_pace`, `discovery`, `spidering`, `known_issue_scan`, `dynamic-assessment`, `external_harvester`, `mutation_strategy`, `scope`. ### Profile Configuration Set a default profile or change the profiles directory in `vigolium-configs.yaml`: ```yaml theme={null} scanning_strategy: scanning_profile: "" # empty = no profile, use default_strategy profiles_dir: ~/.vigolium/profiles/ # directory for profile YAML files ``` ### Override Precedence Profiles slot between CLI flags and the main config file: 1. CLI flags (`--strategy`, `-c`, `--discover-max-time`, etc.) 2. `--scanning-profile` / `scanning_strategy.scanning_profile` 3. Main config file (`vigolium-configs.yaml`) 4. Built-in defaults ## Source-Aware Scanning Source code-aware analysis lives in agent mode, not in the native scanner. Use `vigolium agent swarm --source ` for AI-driven route extraction + code audit + targeted scanning, `vigolium agent autopilot --source ` for autonomous pentest with code context, or `vigolium agent audit --source --mode deep` for a standalone multi-phase whitebox audit. See [Agent Mode](/agentic-scan/agent-mode) for the full overview.