How to Perform Web Application Penetration Testing? Tools and Procedure

What is web application penetration testing?

Web application penetration testing is a web application security technique of identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications to assess their security.

A web application penetration test aims to spot vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit to gain unauthorized access or control of a web application and it’s underlying systems. So, in this article, we will understand how to perform web application penetration testing.

We have summarized below the steps involved in performing a web application penetration test :

1. Information Gathering: This step involves collecting information about the target web application, including its IP address, domain name, and any publicly available information about the application’s architecture, technologies, and configurations. This information can be used to identify potential vulnerabilities and attack vectors.
2. Reconnaissance: This step involves conducting active and passive reconnaissance to identify any open ports, services, and vulnerabilities that may be present on the target web application. This can include using tools such as Nmap, Nessus, and OpenVAS to scan the application for known vulnerabilities.
3. Vulnerability Identification: This step involves identifying vulnerabilities in the target web application, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), file inclusion vulnerabilities, and other common web application vulnerabilities. This can be done manually by reviewing the application’s code or using automated tools such as Burp Suite, Nessus, and Qualys.
4. Exploitation: This step involves exploiting the vulnerabilities identified in the previous step to gain unauthorized access or control of the web application. This can include using tools such as Metasploit, sqlmap, and Burp Suite to exploit vulnerabilities and gain access to the application’s data.
5. Post-Exploitation: This step involves gathering additional information and data from the web application after a successful exploit. This can include collecting sensitive data such as user credentials, financial data, and other sensitive information.
6. Reporting: This step involves documenting the findings from the penetration test and providing recommendations for remediation. This should include a detailed report of the vulnerabilities found, the steps taken to exploit them, and recommendations for mitigating them.

It is important to note that web application penetration testing should only be conducted with the explicit permission of the web application owner and should be conducted by a qualified and experienced penetration tester.

Additionally, web application penetration testing should be performed in a controlled environment to prevent any unintended harm to the production systems.

Conclusion 

Performing web application penetration testing is a crucial step in identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in web applications.

By following the steps outlined above and using the appropriate tools, organizations can identify and remediate vulnerabilities in their web applications, helping to improve their overall security posture.

We hope this article was helpful in providing a deeper understanding of how to perform web application penetration testing. For more information subscribe to The Cyber Express, your cybersecurity news partner.