penetration-testing.mdā¢10.4 kB
---
name: "Penetration Testing"
description: "Systematic security testing methodology for identifying vulnerabilities through ethical hacking"
type: "skill"
version: "1.0.0"
author: "DollhouseMCP"
created: "2025-07-23"
category: "security"
tags: ["penetration-testing", "ethical-hacking", "vulnerability-assessment", "security", "testing"]
proficiency_levels:
beginner: "Basic vulnerability scanning and tool usage"
intermediate: "Manual testing techniques and exploit development"
advanced: "Advanced persistent threats and custom payload creation"
parameters:
test_scope:
type: "array"
description: "Areas to test"
default: ["web_application", "network", "wireless", "social_engineering"]
methodology:
type: "string"
description: "Testing methodology to follow"
default: "OWASP"
enum: ["OWASP", "NIST", "PTES", "OSsTMM", "OWASP-WSTG"]
test_depth:
type: "string"
description: "Depth of testing"
default: "comprehensive"
enum: ["surface", "standard", "comprehensive", "red_team"]
stealth_level:
type: "string"
description: "How stealthy to be"
default: "normal"
enum: ["aggressive", "normal", "stealth", "passive"]
_dollhouseMCPTest: true
_testMetadata:
suite: "bundled-test-data"
purpose: "General test data for DollhouseMCP system validation"
created: "2025-08-20"
version: "1.0.0"
migrated: "2025-08-20T23:47:24.347Z"
originalPath: "data/skills/penetration-testing.md"
---
# Penetration Testing Skill
This skill provides systematic penetration testing capabilities using industry-standard methodologies to identify security vulnerabilities through controlled, ethical attacks.
## Core Capabilities
### 1. Reconnaissance & Information Gathering
- **Passive Reconnaissance**: OSINT, DNS enumeration, search engine discovery
- **Active Reconnaissance**: Port scanning, service enumeration, banner grabbing
- **Social Engineering**: Phishing simulations, pretexting, physical security
- **Network Mapping**: Topology discovery, trust relationships, attack paths
### 2. Vulnerability Assessment
- **Automated Scanning**: Nessus, OpenVAS, Qualys integration
- **Manual Testing**: Custom payloads, logic flaws, business logic bypasses
- **Configuration Review**: Hardening standards, security baselines
- **Compliance Validation**: PCI-DSS, SOX, HIPAA requirements
### 3. Exploitation Techniques
- **Web Application**: OWASP Top 10, injection attacks, broken authentication
- **Network Services**: Buffer overflows, privilege escalation, lateral movement
- **Wireless Security**: WPA/WEP cracking, rogue access points, evil twins
- **Cloud Security**: Misconfigurations, IAM weaknesses, container escapes
### 4. Post-Exploitation Activities
- **Persistence**: Backdoors, scheduled tasks, registry modifications
- **Privilege Escalation**: Local/domain admin compromise
- **Data Exfiltration**: Sensitive data identification and extraction simulation
- **Lateral Movement**: Pivot techniques, credential harvesting
## Testing Methodologies
### OWASP Web Security Testing Guide (WSTG)
```
Phase 1: Information Gathering
āāā Conduct Search Engine Discovery (WSTG-INFO-01)
āāā Fingerprint Web Server (WSTG-INFO-02)
āāā Review Webserver Metafiles (WSTG-INFO-03)
āāā Enumerate Applications (WSTG-INFO-04)
Phase 2: Configuration and Deployment
āāā Test Network Infrastructure (WSTG-CONF-01)
āāā Test Application Platform (WSTG-CONF-02)
āāā Test File Extensions Handling (WSTG-CONF-03)
āāā Review Old Backup Files (WSTG-CONF-04)
Phase 3: Identity Management Testing
āāā Test Role Definitions (WSTG-IDNT-01)
āāā Test User Registration Process (WSTG-IDNT-02)
āāā Test Account Provisioning (WSTG-IDNT-03)
āāā Test Account Enumeration (WSTG-IDNT-05)
```
### PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard)
```
1. Pre-engagement Interactions
- Scope definition
- Rules of engagement
- Legal considerations
2. Intelligence Gathering
- Active/passive reconnaissance
- Corporate information gathering
- Individual information gathering
3. Threat Modeling
- Business asset analysis
- Threat agent identification
- Attack vector analysis
4. Vulnerability Analysis
- Vulnerability research
- Vulnerability validation
- Attack planning
5. Exploitation
- Precision attacks
- Customized attacks
- Persistence mechanisms
6. Post Exploitation
- Infrastructure analysis
- Pillaging
- Network traversal
- Cleanup
7. Reporting
- Executive summary
- Technical findings
- Risk ratings
- Remediation roadmap
```
## Testing Phases
### Phase 1: Planning & Reconnaissance
```
Objectives:
⢠Define scope and rules of engagement
⢠Gather public information about target
⢠Identify potential attack vectors
⢠Map external network presence
Tools & Techniques:
⢠Nmap for network discovery
⢠Recon-ng for OSINT gathering
⢠theHarvester for email enumeration
⢠Shodan for exposed services
⢠Social media reconnaissance
Deliverables:
⢠Test plan and scope document
⢠Network topology diagram
⢠External attack surface map
⢠OSINT intelligence report
```
### Phase 2: Scanning & Enumeration
```
Objectives:
⢠Identify live systems and services
⢠Enumerate software versions
⢠Discover potential vulnerabilities
⢠Map trust relationships
Tools & Techniques:
⢠Nessus/OpenVAS vulnerability scanning
⢠Nikto web server scanning
⢠Enum4linux SMB enumeration
⢠SNMP walking and enumeration
⢠DNS zone transfers
Deliverables:
⢠Vulnerability assessment report
⢠Service enumeration results
⢠Potential attack vectors list
⢠Risk prioritization matrix
```
### Phase 3: Exploitation
```
Objectives:
⢠Validate identified vulnerabilities
⢠Gain initial system access
⢠Demonstrate business impact
⢠Test defense mechanisms
Tools & Techniques:
⢠Metasploit exploitation framework
⢠Custom exploit development
⢠Password attacks (Hydra, Hashcat)
⢠Social engineering toolkit
⢠Physical security testing
Deliverables:
⢠Proof-of-concept exploits
⢠Screenshots of compromised systems
⢠Extracted sensitive data samples
⢠Attack timeline documentation
```
### Phase 4: Post-Exploitation
```
Objectives:
⢠Maintain persistent access
⢠Escalate privileges
⢠Move laterally through network
⢠Assess data exposure risk
Tools & Techniques:
⢠Privilege escalation exploits
⢠Credential dumping (Mimikatz)
⢠Network pivoting (ProxyChains)
⢠PowerShell Empire/Cobalt Strike
⢠Data mining and classification
Deliverables:
⢠Network compromise diagram
⢠Sensitive data inventory
⢠Privilege escalation paths
⢠Persistence mechanism documentation
```
## Specialized Testing Areas
### Web Application Testing
```
Authentication Testing:
ā” Username enumeration
ā” Brute force protection
ā” Session management
ā” Password policy enforcement
ā” Multi-factor authentication bypass
Authorization Testing:
ā” Path traversal attacks
ā” Privilege escalation
ā” Insecure direct object references
ā” Missing function level access control
Input Validation Testing:
ā” SQL injection (all types)
ā” Cross-site scripting (XSS)
ā” Command injection
ā” LDAP injection
ā” XML/XXE attacks
Session Management:
ā” Session token analysis
ā” Session fixation
ā” Cross-site request forgery
ā” Session timeout validation
```
### Network Infrastructure Testing
```
Network Reconnaissance:
⢠Port scanning and service enumeration
⢠SNMP community string testing
⢠Network protocol analysis
⢠Wireless network assessment
Service Testing:
⢠SSH/Telnet brute forcing
⢠SMB share enumeration
⢠FTP anonymous access
⢠Database service testing
Network Segmentation:
⢠VLAN hopping attempts
⢠Firewall rule validation
⢠Network access control bypass
⢠DMZ security assessment
```
### Wireless Security Testing
```
Wireless Reconnaissance:
⢠Access point discovery
⢠Encryption type identification
⢠Client device enumeration
⢠Hidden SSID detection
Attack Techniques:
⢠WEP key cracking
⢠WPA/WPA2 dictionary attacks
⢠WPS PIN attacks
⢠Evil twin access points
⢠Wireless packet injection
Assessment Areas:
⢠Guest network isolation
⢠Enterprise authentication
⢠Rogue access point detection
⢠Wireless intrusion prevention
```
## Report Generation
### Executive Summary Template
```
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overall Risk Rating: [HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW]
Critical Findings: X
High Risk Findings: Y
Medium Risk Findings: Z
BUSINESS IMPACT:
⢠Potential for complete network compromise
⢠Risk of sensitive data exposure
⢠Compliance violation concerns
⢠Estimated remediation cost: $X
TOP 3 RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. [Most critical remediation]
2. [Second priority fix]
3. [Third priority improvement]
TIMELINE FOR REMEDIATION:
⢠Critical issues: 7 days
⢠High risk issues: 30 days
⢠Medium risk issues: 90 days
```
### Technical Finding Format
```
FINDING: [Vulnerability Name]
SEVERITY: [Critical/High/Medium/Low]
CVSS Score: X.X
CWE ID: CWE-XXX
DESCRIPTION:
[Technical description of the vulnerability]
IMPACT:
[What an attacker could accomplish]
PROOF OF CONCEPT:
[Steps to reproduce or exploit code]
AFFECTED SYSTEMS:
⢠System 1 (IP: x.x.x.x)
⢠System 2 (IP: x.x.x.x)
REMEDIATION:
[Specific steps to fix the issue]
REFERENCES:
⢠CVE-XXXX-XXXX
⢠https://example.com/advisory
```
## Integration Notes
Works exceptionally well with:
- **Security Analyst Persona**: Strategic security guidance
- **Code Review Skill**: Static analysis correlation
- **Vulnerability Assessment templates**: Structured reporting
- **Risk Assessment templates**: Business impact analysis
- **Incident Response procedures**: Breach simulation
## Compliance Considerations
Testing approach adapts to:
- **PCI-DSS**: Payment card industry requirements
- **HIPAA**: Healthcare data protection standards
- **SOX**: Financial reporting security controls
- **GDPR**: Data protection impact assessments
- **ISO 27001**: Information security management
## Ethical Guidelines
All testing follows strict ethical boundaries:
- Written authorization required before testing
- Scope strictly limited to agreed boundaries
- No unnecessary system damage or disruption
- Confidential handling of discovered vulnerabilities
- Responsible disclosure of findings