What is Web Application Pen Testing? How is it done?
Web Application Pen Testing is done to find vulnerabilities in the web application using different types of Pen Testing tools, which are later exploited by an attacker. According to SiteLock data, websites experience an average of 22 attacks per day. Most common vulnerabilities that are exploited are Cross Site Scripting (XSS), Broken Access Control and even Security Misconfigurations.
The process of Pen Testing a Web Application involves multiple steps and use of various automated tools.
1. Define Scope: To check what all things are in the scope of testing and what is off limit.
2. Reconnaissance: Gather important information like any breaches in the past, missing security headers (ex. X-Frame-Options, Content-Security-Policy), hidden files (ex. robot.txt). Web Crawlers are also used.
3. Enumeration: This is done by using vulnerability scanners to find out potential vulnerabilities (tolls include Burp Suite, Nikto), check what server version is being used (using Nmap).
4. Exploitation: Enter different payloads to exploit the discovered attack vectors using tools like Burp Suite.
5. Report & Recommendations: Provide a detailed report including all the findings along with recommendations on how to patch those vulnerabilities and protect against such attacks by having a good defense strategy.
Contact DefendEdge to discuss how you can protect and secure your Web Applications against various attack vectors.