What is Web Applications Penetration Testing?
Methodology
Reconnaissance
Gathering detailed information about the target web application, including its architecture, technologies used, and potential entry points. This step involves both passive and active reconnaissance techniques to understand the environment and identify any initial vulnerabilities.
Mapping
Creating a detailed map of the application’s structure, including its pages, inputs, and functionalities. This step helps in understanding the application’s workflow and identifying areas that are critical to security.
Vulnerability Identification
Systematically scanning and analyzing the web application to identify security flaws. This can involve automated tools and manual testing to find common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and broken authentication.
Penetration
Actively exploiting identified vulnerabilities to determine the potential impact of the security weaknesses. This step simulates real-world attacks to understand how far an attacker could go within the application if the vulnerabilities were left unaddressed.
Reporting
Compiling a comprehensive report that details the vulnerabilities discovered, the methods used to exploit them, the potential impact, and recommendations for remediation. This report is crucial for developers and security teams to understand the risks and take appropriate action to secure the web application.
