Report Penetration Test: Example of Risk Analysis (en)

Overview

This report aims to evaluate the risk level of various vulnerabilities detected during penetration testing on the web application of *Company XYZ*. Each vulnerability is scored based on two main factors: exploitation likelihood and impact on the system. A rating scale is used to categorize the risk: Low, Medium, High, or Critical.

Methodology

• Exploitation Likelihood: Measures how likely it is that an attacker can exploit the vulnerability. Factors considered include: the complexity of the exploit, the availability of exploitation tools, and the technical skills required.
  • High: The vulnerability is easy to exploit, has an automated tool, or does not require authentication.
  • Medium: Exploitation requires additional effort or skills.
  • Low: Exploitation is very difficult, requires special conditions, or complex attack techniques.

• Impact: Measures how much damage or consequence would result if the vulnerability were exploited. Impact is evaluated in terms of:
  • Confidentiality: Could sensitive data be exposed?
  • Integrity: Could data or systems be modified without permission?
  • Availability: Could service be disrupted or stopped?

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

No	Vulnerability	Exploitation Probability	Impact	Risk Level	Recommendation
1	SQL Injection	High	Critical	Critical	Validate input with query parameterization and filtering.
2	Cross-Site Scripting	Medium	Medium	Medium	Implement input sanitization and output encoding.
3	Directory Traversal	Low	High	Medium	Restrict directory access, use proper configuration.
4	Weak Password Policies	High	Medium	High	Enforce strong, multifactor password policies.
5	Insecure Deserialization	Medium	High	High	Use secure deserialization methods, validate input.

Detailed Explanation

SQL Injection

• Description: An attacker can inject SQL commands into a web application form input, which can be executed by the database without validation.
• Exploitability: High. Many automated tools such as SQLMap can be used to find and exploit SQL Injection.
• Impact: Critical. An attacker can access and modify the entire database, delete, or steal sensitive data.
• Risk Level: Critical.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

• Description: An attacker can insert malicious scripts into a web page that will be executed by the user's browser.
• Exploitability: Medium. Some skill is required, but many tools are available to assist with this attack.
• Impact: Medium. Potential to steal user sessions or infect browsers with malware.
• Risk Level: Medium.

Directory Traversal

• Description: An attacker can access files or directories that should not be accessible through a web application by exploiting a directory traversal vulnerability.
• Exploitability: Low. Requires knowledge of directory structure and non-standard system file access.
• Impact: High. If exploited, an attacker can read critical files or server configuration.
• Risk Level: Medium.

Weak Password Policies

• Description: The system uses weak password policies (e.g., low minimum length, no special characters).
• Exploitability: High. An attacker can easily use brute force or credential stuffing attacks.
• Impact: Medium. Could allow unauthorized access to user accounts or critical data.
• Risk Level: High.

Insecure Deserialization

• Description: This vulnerability allows an attacker to inject malicious objects during the deserialization process, which are then executed by the application.
• Exploitability: Medium. Requires an understanding of the serialization process, but tools and exploits are available.
• Impact: High. Could result in remote code execution or full control of the application.
• Risk Level: High.

Conclusion and Actions

Based on the evaluation results, the primary focus of mitigation should be directed at the vulnerabilities with risk levels of Critical and High, especially SQL Injection and Insecure Deserialization, as their impact could result in overall system compromise. Adoption of web application security best practices, such as strong input validation, encryption, and regular updates, is highly recommended.