CLI Examples

Common usage patterns and real-world examples for Strix CLI

This page demonstrates common usage patterns and workflows for the Strix CLI.

Basic Usage

Scan a Web Application

strix --target https://example.com

This launches an interactive TUI session and performs a deep penetration test of the web application.

Scan a GitHub Repository

strix --target https://github.com/user/repo

Strix clones the repository and performs static code analysis to find vulnerabilities.

Scan Local Code

strix --target ./my-project

Analyze local source code for security issues.

Multi-Target Scanning

White-Box Web Application Testing

Combine source code analysis with live application testing:

strix --target https://github.com/user/webapp --target https://example.com

This provides comprehensive coverage by analyzing both code and runtime behavior.

Multiple Environments

Test staging and production simultaneously:

strix --target ./my-app --target https://staging.example.com --target https://prod.example.com

Custom Instructions

Inline Instructions

Focus on specific vulnerability types:

strix --target https://example.com --instruction "Focus on authentication vulnerabilities"

Provide test credentials:

strix --target https://example.com --instruction "Use credentials admin:password123 to access the admin panel"

Instructions from File

Create a file instructions.txt:

# Security Test Requirements

## Focus Areas
- Authentication and session management
- API authorization controls  
- SQL injection in search endpoints

## Test Credentials
- Regular user: [e-mail] / password123
- Admin: [e-mail] / admin456

## Known Issues to Verify
- Check if password reset tokens expire
- Test for IDOR in /api/users/:id endpoint

Then run:

strix --target https://example.com --instruction-file ./instructions.txt

Scan Modes

Quick Scan (CI/CD)

Fast scan for continuous integration:

strix --target https://example.com --scan-mode quick --non-interactive

Standard Scan

Balanced depth and speed:

strix --target https://example.com --scan-mode standard

Deep Scan (Default)

Thorough pre-release security audit:

strix --target https://example.com --scan-mode deep

Non-Interactive Mode

CI/CD Integration

Run in headless mode suitable for automation:

strix --target https://example.com --non-interactive

This prints vulnerabilities to stdout and exits with code 2 if issues are found.

Save Output to File

strix --target https://example.com --non-interactive > scan-results.txt 2>&1

Check Exit Code

strix --target https://example.com --non-interactive
if [ $? -eq 2 ]; then
  echo "Vulnerabilities found!"
  exit 1
fi

Advanced Workflows

Comprehensive Pre-Release Audit

strix --target ./source-code \
  --target https://staging.example.com \
  --scan-mode deep \
  --instruction-file ./security-requirements.md

Quick PR Security Check

strix --target ./feature-branch \
  --scan-mode quick \
  --instruction "Focus on changes in authentication module" \
  --non-interactive

Domain Reconnaissance

strix --target example.com

Test a domain (not just a specific URL) to discover and test all services.

Internal Network Testing

strix --target 192.168.1.42

Test an internal IP address or host.

Using Custom Configuration

Create Configuration Profile

Create prod-config.json:

{
  "strix_llm": "openai/gpt-4",
  "llm_api_base": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
  "llm_timeout": 600,
  "strix_reasoning_effort": "xhigh"
}

Use Configuration

strix --target https://example.com --config ./prod-config.json

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: New Feature Security Review

You’ve just developed a new authentication feature:

strix --target ./my-app \
  --target https://staging.example.com \
  --instruction "Focus on the new OAuth2 implementation in /auth endpoints. Test for token leakage and session fixation."

Scenario 2: Pre-Production Checklist

Before deploying to production:

strix --target https://staging.example.com \
  --scan-mode deep \
  --instruction-file ./security-checklist.md

Scenario 3: API Security Testing

Test a REST API:

strix --target https://api.example.com \
  --instruction "Focus on API authorization. Test credentials: api_key=abc123. Check for IDOR, broken authentication, and rate limiting."

Scenario 4: GitHub Repository Audit

Audit an open-source project:

strix --target https://github.com/user/project --scan-mode deep

Scenario 5: Localhost Development Testing

Test your local development environment:

strix --target http://localhost:3000 \
  --instruction "Test user: [e-mail] / password123"

Strix automatically rewrites localhost URLs to work correctly inside Docker containers.

CI/CD Pipeline Examples

GitHub Actions

name: Security Scan

on:
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  security:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      
      - name: Run Strix Scan
        env:
          STRIX_LLM: ${{ secrets.STRIX_LLM }}
          LLM_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.LLM_API_KEY }}
        run: |
          strix --target . --scan-mode quick --non-interactive

GitLab CI

security_scan:
  stage: test
  script:
    - strix --target $CI_PROJECT_DIR --scan-mode quick --non-interactive
  variables:
    STRIX_LLM: "openai/gpt-4"
    LLM_API_KEY: $LLM_API_KEY
  only:
    - merge_requests

Jenkins

stage('Security Scan') {
    steps {
        withCredentials([string(credentialsId: 'llm-api-key', variable: 'LLM_API_KEY')]) {
            sh '''
                export STRIX_LLM="openai/gpt-4"
                strix --target . --scan-mode quick --non-interactive
            '''
        }
    }
}

Troubleshooting

Check Version

strix --version

Test Environment

Verify environment variables are set:

echo $STRIX_LLM
echo $LLM_API_KEY

Verbose Output

For debugging, you can examine the output directory:

strix --target example.com --non-interactive
ls -la strix_runs/
cat strix_runs/*/vulnerabilities.json

See Also

• strix - Main command reference
• Options - Complete option reference
• Non-Interactive Mode - Automation details
• Exit Codes - Exit code reference