What is the function of web application scanning tools in dynamic testing?

Web application scanning tools play a critical role in dynamic testing by simulating various attacks on a running application to assess its security posture in real-time. Their primary function is to identify vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers, such as cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and other common threats that can compromise user data and application integrity.

Dynamic testing involves evaluating the application while it is operational. By doing so, these tools can interact with the application as a user would, allowing them to uncover issues that may not be evident in source code or during earlier stages of development. For instance, querying input fields and observing how the application responds can reveal vulnerabilities like XSS, where injected scripts might run in a user's browser, posing security risks.

Other options provided, while related to the development and security assessment process, do not directly align with the primary purpose of web application scanning tools. Improving coding practices pertains more to static analysis and developer training, while detecting software installation issues isn't a primary focus of dynamic testing tools. Static analysis, on the other hand, involves examining the code without executing it, which is distinctly different from the operations of dynamic scanning tools.