Table of Contents
1. Penetration Testing Methodology
⚠️ Legal Notice
Penetration tests may only be performed with explicit written permission. Unauthorized testing is illegal and may have criminal consequences.
PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard)
📋
Pre-Engagement
Scope Definition, Legal Agreements, Rules of Engagement
🕵️
Intelligence Gathering
OSINT, Reconnaissance, Information Collection
🔍
Threat Modeling
Attack Vectors, Asset Valuation, Threat Analysis
⚡
Vulnerability Analysis
Scanning, Enumeration, Weakness Identification
💥
Exploitation
Proof of Concept, Access Gaining, Privilege Escalation
📊
Reporting
Documentation, Risk Assessment, Remediation
2. Planning & Reconnaissance Phase
OSINT (Open Source Intelligence)
🔍 Information Gathering Checklist
Domain Intelligence
- • Subdomain Enumeration
- • DNS Records Analysis
- • WHOIS Information
- • Certificate Transparency Logs
- • Email Addresses
Technical Intelligence
- • Technology Stack Identification
- • Public Code Repositories
- • Social Media Profiles
- • Job Postings Analysis
- • Leaked Credentials
Reconnaissance Tools & Commands
# Subdomain Enumeration
subfinder -d target.com -o subdomains.txt
amass enum -d target.com
assetfinder target.com
# DNS Reconnaissance
dig target.com ANY
dnsrecon -d target.com -t std
fierce -dns target.com
# Port Scanning (Initial)
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24
masscan -p1-65535 192.168.1.1 --rate=1000
# Web Technology Detection
whatweb target.com
wafw00f target.com
wappalyzer target.com3. Scanning & Enumeration
💡 Scanning Strategy
Start with passive scans and progress to active scans. Document all findings systematically.
Nmap Scanning Techniques
🎯 Target Discovery
# Host Discovery
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24
nmap -PS22,80,443 192.168.1.0/24
# TCP SYN Scan (Stealth)
nmap -sS -T4 -p- target.com
# Service Version Detection
nmap -sV -sC -p 1-65535 target.com
# UDP Scan (Top 1000 ports)
nmap -sU --top-ports 1000 target.com🔍 Service Enumeration
# HTTP/HTTPS Enumeration
gobuster dir -u http://target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt
nikto -h http://target.com
dirb http://target.com
# SMB Enumeration
enum4linux target.com
smbclient -L //target.com
smbmap -H target.com
# FTP Enumeration
nmap --script ftp-anon,ftp-bounce,ftp-libopie -p 21 target.com4. Exploitation & Post-Exploitation
⚠️ Exploitation Ethics
Only perform proof-of-concept exploits. Avoid causing damage to the target system. Document all steps for the report.
Common Attack Vectors
🌐 Web Application Attacks
- • SQL Injection (SQLi)
- • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- • Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
- • Local/Remote File Inclusion
- • Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
- • Insecure Direct Object References
🖥️ System-Level Attacks
- • Buffer Overflow Exploits
- • Privilege Escalation
- • Weak Service Configurations
- • Default Credentials
- • Unpatched Vulnerabilities
- • Misconfigured Services
Post-Exploitation Activities
# System Information Gathering
uname -a
cat /etc/passwd
ps aux
netstat -tulpn
# Privilege Escalation Check
sudo -l
find / -perm -u=s -type f 2>/dev/null
getcap -r / 2>/dev/null
# Network Reconnaissance
arp -a
route -n
cat /etc/hosts
# Data Exfiltration (Proof of Concept only)
find / -name "*.txt" -o -name "*.doc" -o -name "*.pdf" 2>/dev/null
locate password
grep -r "password" /var/log/ 2>/dev/null5. Reporting & Documentation
Report Structure
📋 Executive Summary
- • High-level overview of findings
- • Risk assessment matrix
- • Business impact analysis
- • Strategic recommendations
🔍 Technical Details
- • Detailed vulnerability descriptions
- • Proof-of-concept evidence
- • CVSS scoring and classification
- • Step-by-step reproduction guides
🛠️ Remediation
- • Prioritized remediation roadmap
- • Technical implementation guides
- • Compliance mapping (OWASP, NIST)
- • Timeline recommendations
Risk Classification
CRITICAL
9.0 - 10.0
HIGH
7.0 - 8.9
MEDIUM
4.0 - 6.9
LOW
0.1 - 3.9
6. Essential Penetration Testing Tools
🔧 Reconnaissance Tools
NmapNetwork Discovery & Port Scanning
MasscanHigh-Speed Port Scanner
GobusterDirectory/File Enumeration
SubfinderSubdomain Discovery
💥 Exploitation Tools
MetasploitExploitation Framework
Burp SuiteWeb Application Testing
SQLmapSQL Injection Testing
John the RipperPassword Cracking
🛡️ G-Data Security Tools
G-Data Endpoint ProtectionBehavioral Analysis & Detection
G-Data Security AwarenessPhishing Simulation Platform
G-Data Network SecurityAdvanced Threat Protection
📊 Reporting Tools
DradisCollaboration & Reporting
FaradayVulnerability Management
MagicTreeData Correlation
SerpicoReport Generation
🎯
Tavo-IT Penetration Testing Services
As certified G-Data Security partners, we offer professional penetration tests with German security standards.
🔍 Web App Pentests
OWASP Top 10 compliance
🌐 Network Pentests
Infrastructure Assessment
📱 Mobile App Tests
iOS & Android Security