Pentest as a preventive measure
The Client's Challenge
The website served as an important marketing and information tool for consumers. The main areas of concern were:
1. Exposure to common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other forms of code injection.
2. Protection of registered consumers' information on the website.
3. Ensuring that only authorized users could access the restricted areas of the site.
The solution of Avebit
To address the cooperative's concerns, we proposed a comprehensive penetration test, structured according to best practices and internationally recognized methodologies. Our tests included both automated scans for known vulnerabilities and thorough manual tests to identify flaws caused by faulty business logic. We employed sophisticated exploit techniques and conducted result validation to eliminate false positives. Finally, we provided the client with a document containing the obtained results and their potential impact, along with the attack procedures and recommendations for vulnerability remediation.
Results and Conclusions
The penetration test revealed several critical vulnerabilities and areas for improvement. For example, an authorization issue was identified that allowed an unauthenticated user to add products to the shopping list of an authenticated user. This flaw could be exploited to manipulate orders and cause confusion or financial damage. Additionally, the password recovery page allowed attackers to determine if an email address was associated with an existing account, which could be used for phishing attempts or other targeted attacks. Finally, we identified various instances of information leakage that exposed system and configuration details, which could be used by attackers to plan further attacks.
The Added Value of Avebit
Our added value lies in the experience and expertise of our certified penetration testers. The main advantages of our approach include:
1. Identification of Business Logic Vulnerabilities: Manual testing allows us to identify business logic issues that automated tools cannot detect.
2. Elimination of False Positives/Negatives: Our experts perform manual verification to ensure result accuracy, minimizing false alarms and ensuring no real vulnerabilities are overlooked.
3. Comprehensive Methodological Approach: We rigorously follow OWASP and OSSTMM methodologies, ensuring that every aspect of site security is thoroughly evaluated.
4. Practical Recommendations: We provide detailed and practical recommendations for vulnerability mitigation, helping the cooperative significantly improve the security of their showcase website.