WebScarab is a framework for analysing applications that communicate using the HTTP and HTTPS protocols. 

It is written in Java, and is thus portable to many platforms.
WebScarab has several modes of operation, implemented by a number of plugins.
In its most common usage, WebScarab operates as an intercepting proxy, 
allowing the operator to review and modify requests created by the browser before they are sent to the server,
and to review and modify responses returned from the server before they are received by the browser. 
WebScarab is able to intercept both HTTP and HTTPS communication. 
The operator can also review the conversations (requests and responses) that have passed through WebScarab. 


There is no shiny red button on WebScarab, 
it is a tool primarily designed to be used by people who can write code themselves, 
or at least have a pretty good understanding of the HTTP protocol. If that sounds like you, welcome!

WebScarab is designed to be a tool for anyone who needs to expose the workings of an HTTP(S) based application,
whether to allow the developer to debug otherwise difficult problems,
or to allow a security specialist to identify vulnerabilities in the way that the application has been designed or implemented.