Methodology How I Get Things Done¶

My offensive security methodology It’s a structured , almost intuitive process really I design it for depth , making sure we cover everything , and crucially , for real impact This approach cleverly blends industry-standard frameworks with a truly hacker-centric mindset My priorities are clear , automate for raw efficiency , but never skimp on manual analysis for pinpoint precision

Phase 1 Reconnaissance & Asset Discovery¶

The absolute bedrock of any successful engagement boils down to one thing , really knowing the target’s attack surface Seriously , you gotta understand it

Passive Reconnaissance¶

This phase is all about gathering intel without ever directly touching the target Think of it as ghosting them

OSINT Collection I use tools like theHarvester , Maltego , and SpiderFoot They dig up a ton
Breach Database Analysis Always checking HaveIBeenPwned , DeHashed , and other breach databases You’d be surprised what you find
Code Repository Scanning GitHub , GitLab , Bitbucket These places are goldmines for OSINT
Web Archives Wayback Machine and Archive.org offer a peek into history It’s pretty useful
Certificate Transparency Cert.sh and crt.sh help with subdomain discovery It’s a subtle art
DNS History Analyzing historical DNS records They can tell you a lot about a target’s past

Some Go-To Commands:

# OSINT gathering , pretty standard stuff
theHarvester -d target.com -b google,bing,linkedin -f results.html

# Grabbing subdomains from certificates , it's quick
curl -s "https://crt.sh/?q=%.target.com&output=json" | jq -r '.[]name_value' | sort -u

# GitHub recon , looking for exposed juicy bits
gitrob target-organization
trufflehog --regex --entropy=False https://github.com/target-organization/

Active Reconnaissance¶

Now , this involves actually poking and prodding the target's infrastructure But we’re careful about it

Subdomain Enumeration I grab subfinder , amass , and assetfinder for this They do the heavy lifting
Port Scanning Running comprehensive nmap scans , always with service detection Gotta see what's open
Service Fingerprinting Banner grabbing and figuring out what technologies are running It helps narrow things down
Web Application Mapping Directory brute-forcing , parameter discovery You’re mapping their digital backyard

More Commands You'll Use:

# Super comprehensive subdomain discovery , trust me
subfinder -d target.com -o subfinder.txt
amass enum -d target.com -o amass.txt
assetfinder --subs-only target.com > assetfinder.txt

# Port scanning with all the bells and whistles , a classic
nmap -sS -sV -sC -O -p- -T4 target.com -oA full_scan

# Web directory discovery , looking for hidden paths
gobuster dir -u https://target.com -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt -x php,html,txt

Automation & Continuous Monitoring¶

I use custom tools , like my own ReconX , for continuous asset discovery It helps me monitor things constantly This way , the attack surface map stays totally current throughout the entire gig

Phase 2 Vulnerability Analysis & Mapping¶

Once we have a clear picture of the attack surface , we switch gears It’s all about finding those hidden weaknesses We use a combo of automated and manual hacks here

Automated Scanning¶

Industry-standard tools help snag the common vulnerabilities It’s a good starting point

Web Application Scanners Burp Suite Professional , OWASP ZAP , Nikto These are the workhorses
Network Vulnerability Scanners Nessus , OpenVAS , Nexpose They scan for the bigger picture
Configuration Auditors Lynis , CIS-CAT , OpenSCAP Making sure nothing’s set wrong

My Scanning Philosophy: * Always kick off with broad scans to grab the low-hanging fruit Easy wins first * Then , we drill down into more targeted , in-depth scanning That’s where the real findings are * Every automated finding gets a manual double-check You can’t trust machines completely * Keep an eye out for false positives , and always consider the business context It really matters

Manual Assessment¶

This is the real core of the process It's about spotting those tricky , complex vulnerabilities that automated tools just flat-out miss

Business Logic Testing:

Price manipulation in e-commerce apps Yeah , that’s a thing
Bypassing workflows and escalating privileges Super critical stuff
Time-based logic flaws and race conditions These are subtle but dangerous
Authentication and authorization bypasses Total game-changers

API Security Testing:

Endpoint discovery and deep dives into documentation You gotta know what you’re hitting
Parameter fuzzing and input validation testing Look for weak spots
Testing every authentication mechanism Can you break it
Rate limiting and access control checks Essential for robust APIs

Advanced Techniques:

JWT token manipulation and signature bypass This one is fun
GraphQL injection and introspection attacks New territory , new exploits
WebSocket security testing Often overlooked , surprisingly vulnerable
Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) exploitation A truly powerful primitive

Threat Modeling¶

We analyze the application architecture to find potential weak spots This is proactive hunting

Data flow diagrams and figuring out trust boundaries Crucial for understanding
Attack tree analysis Mapping out all possible attack paths
Risk assessment and prioritizing what really matters Not everything is a P1
Identifying high-value targets Where’s the biggest bang for the buck

Phase 3 Exploitation & Post-Exploitation¶

Here , we're showing the real impact of those vulnerabilities It’s all about safe , totally controlled exploitation

Safe Exploitation¶

Building and executing proof-of-concept (PoC) exploits is an art We’re demonstrating impact , not chaos

Always , always work in isolated test environments first Don’t break production
Use non-destructive payloads We’re not here to cause damage
Document every single step Replication is key
Have rollback procedures ready to go Just in case

Some Common Exploitation Techniques (with commands):

# SQL injection , a timeless classic
sqlmap -u "https://target.com/search?q=test" --batch --risk=3 --level=5 --dbs

# XSS payload delivery and validation Fun , right
python3 xsstrike.py -u "https://target.com/search" --params --crawl

# File upload bypass testing Trying everything
# Testing various extensions , content-type bypass , magic bytes – you name it

Privilege Escalation¶

Trying to move up the ladder This involves a bunch of different vectors

Linux Privilege Escalation:

SUID/GUID misconfigurations Often an easy win
Kernel exploits (only after extensive testing , seriously)
Service misconfigurations People make mistakes
Cron job vulnerabilities Scheduled tasks can be abused
Environment variable manipulation A sneaky way in

Windows Privilege Escalation:

Service permissions and unquoted service paths Classic Windows issues
AlwaysInstallElevated registry settings Yes , it’s still a thing
Token manipulation and impersonation Powerful stuff
DLL hijacking and search order vulnerabilities Often overlooked

Lateral Movement¶

Simulating how an attacker would actually move through the network Stealth is key

Pass-the-hash and pass-the-ticket attacks Oldies but goodies
Kerberoasting and AS-REP roasting Targeting Active Directory
SMB share enumeration and access What’s hiding on the network
SSH key reuse and brute-forcing Attackers love credentials
Application-level pivoting Using applications to move deeper

Persistence¶

Establishing a foothold , showing how an attacker could stay put This demonstrates long-term risk

Scheduled tasks and cron jobs Simple , yet effective
Registry modifications (on Windows) The registry is a treasure trove
Service installation Creating your own entry point
Web shells and backdoors For remote access
SSH key addition A quiet way to maintain access

Phase 4 Reporting & Remediation¶

Translating all that tech-speak into actionable business intelligence This is crucial

Clear Documentation¶

My reports are detailed , and more importantly , actionable No fluff

Here’s how a vulnerability report is structured:

Executive Summary What’s the business impact What’s the risk Keep it high-level but clear
Technical Details The nitty-gritty Vulnerability description and specific tech details
Proof of Concept Step-by-step instructions for reproducing the issue Show , don’t just tell
Evidence Screenshots , code snippets , anything that backs up the claim Verifiable proof
Remediation Practical , actionable recommendations for fixing the problem We offer solutions , not just complaints
References CVEs , OWASP categories , and other resources For deeper dives

Remediation Guidance¶

I don’t just point out problems I offer practical , effective ways to fix them

Immediate short-term fixes Stop the bleeding now
Medium-term architectural improvements Planning for the future
Long-term security program enhancements Building resilience
Specific code changes and configuration updates Sometimes it's that simple
Testing and validation procedures Make sure the fix actually works

Ethical Disclosure¶

Adhering strictly to responsible disclosure This is non-negotiable

Clear communication timelines and setting expectations Transparency matters
Giving adequate time for remediation It's a partnership
Coordinating with all affected parties Everyone needs to be in the loop
Following established disclosure guidelines No rogue actions here
Maintaining professional conduct throughout Always

Continuous Improvement¶

Every engagement is a learning opportunity

Lessons learned from each job You always get smarter
Refining my methodology based on new techniques This field never stands still
Updating and optimizing my toolchain Keeping the edge
Knowledge sharing and helping the team grow We’re all in this together
Staying on top of emerging threats and vulnerabilities The bad guys never sleep

Methodology Adaptation Framework¶

Look , this methodology is a framework It’s not some rigid checklist We adapt it Always

Things to Consider for Each Engagement:

Penetration Testing Full coverage , very compliance-focused We hit everything
Red Teaming Stealth , persistence , and hitting specific objectives It's a different game
Bug Bounty Scope-limited , aiming for those high-impact findings It's about bang for your buck personally i'm not interested for it but i go on external someimes
Research Deep technical analysis , often focused on novel techniques Breaking new ground specially those for application security that deals with memory my interests not for the web btw

Target Environment Factors (Super Important):

Network complexity and segmentation How tangled is it
The technology stack’s diversity What toys are they playing with
Compliance requirements (PCI DSS , HIPAA , etc) Legal stuff is serious
Business criticality and what their risk tolerance is How much pain can they take

Practical Constraints (Always a Factor):

Time limitations and scheduling We work within what we've got
Resource availability and team composition Who's on the bench
Client preferences and their risk appetite What are they comfortable with
Legal and regulatory considerations Don't step on any toes

Remember this My methodology serves as a flexible framework , not a stone-cold checklist The most effective security assessments always adapt to the unique characteristics of each target environment But we still maintain thoroughness and , of course , complete professionalism Every single time