Web Application Penetration Testing

A Web Application Penetration Test evaluates the security of an organization's web applications. This test simulates real-world attacks on web applications to identify and exploit vulnerabilities attackers could leverage.
An Xtronum Security engineer conducts this test by systematically assessing the web application's security, including its underlying infrastructure, code, and configurations. The engineer uses advanced techniques to identify potential vulnerabilities thoroughly. The goal is to evaluate the security posture by attempting to access sensitive data, exploit user permissions, and test APIs, thereby comprehensively assessing the web application's defenses.

Testing adheres to the following frameworks:

  • OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project)
  • PTEST (Penetration Testing Execution Standard)
  • NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)

Key Components:

  • Application Scanning: This process identifies vulnerabilities within the web application's code and configurations, including common issues like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).
  • API Testing: Evaluates the security of APIs by testing for vulnerabilities such as broken authentication, excessive data exposure, and lack of rate limiting. This ensures that the APIs are secure against attacks.
  • User Permissions Testing: Assesses the effectiveness of user role and permission configurations to ensure users have appropriate access levels. This includes testing for privilege escalation and unauthorized access.
  • Session Management Testing: Tests the web application's session management mechanisms to identify weaknesses that could allow session hijacking or fixation.
  • Business Logic Testing: Evaluates the web application's business logic to identify flaws that could be exploited to bypass security controls and achieve unauthorized actions.
  • Reporting and Remediation: Provides a detailed report outlining the findings, including exploited vulnerabilities, their potential impact, and recommended remediation steps. This helps prioritize and address security issues effectively.

Benefits:

  • Identification of security weaknesses in web applications.
  • Improved defenses against web-based attacks.
  • Enhanced overall security posture.