Methodology/ Approach

Pre-engagement Planning: During this phase, the Penetration Testing team collaborated with the customers’ IT and security personnel to define the scope of the engagement. The scope included a list of applications to be tested, testing objectives, and the rules of engagement to ensure that the testing remained within ethical boundaries.

Information Gathering: In this phase, the penetration testers collected as much information as possible about the target applications, such as version numbers, architecture, underlying technologies, and potential entry points.

Vulnerability Assessment: Using both manual and automated techniques, the testers conducted a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of the applications. This involved scanning for common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), insecure direct object references, and other OWASP Top Ten vulnerabilities.

Exploitation: Once vulnerabilities were identified, the penetration testers attempted to exploit them to gain unauthorized access, escalate privileges, or extract sensitive data.

Post-Exploitation: In this phase, the testers explored the extent of access they gained during exploitation. They tried to pivot within the application environment to access more critical systems and data.

Reporting: After completing the testing, the Penetration Testing team generated a detailed report that included the findings, evidence of successful exploits, potential impact, and risk levels. The report also provided recommendations for mitigating the identified vulnerabilities.

Found Vulnerabilities –

• SQL Injection
  The testers discovered that some applications were susceptible to SQL injection attacks, which could allow an attacker to manipulate the database and potentially access or modify sensitive data.
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
  Several applications were found to be vulnerable to XSS attacks, enabling attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users, potentially leading to session hijacking or data theft.
• Insecure Direct Object References
  Some applications lacked proper authorization checks, allowing unauthorized users to access and manipulate sensitive resources directly.
• Weak Authentication and Authorization
  The authentication mechanisms of certain applications were found to be weak, making them susceptible to brute-force attacks and credential theft.
• Insufficient Session Management
  Some applications had poor session management, leading to the possibility of session fixation, session hijacking, and session replay attacks.

Recommendations

Regular Patch Management: Apply timely updates and security patches for all applications and underlying technologies to mitigate known vulnerabilities.

Secure Coding Practices: Enforce secure coding practices and conduct regular code reviews to identify and fix security flaws during development.

Web Application Firewall (WAF): Implement a WAF to filter and monitor incoming web traffic, protecting against common attacks like SQL injection and XSS.

Strong Authentication: Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) and implement account lockout policies to prevent brute-force attacks.

Secure Session Management: Utilize secure session management techniques, including expiring sessions after a certain period of inactivity and using secure cookies.

Regular Penetration Testing: Conduct regular applicative Penetration Testing to proactively identify and address potential security weaknesses.

Conclusion

The application Penetration Testing provided the customer with valuable insights into the security posture of their applications. By addressing the identified vulnerabilities and implementing the recommended security measures, the customer can significantly enhance the resilience of their applications against potential cyber threats. Regular testing and proactive security measures will help the company maintain customer trust and confidence in their services, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and valuable assets.