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External Pentest Methodology

What is an External Pentest?

An external penetration test assesses the security of an organization’s external network perimeter by simulating real-world attacks from an unauthenticated, outside perspective. The goal is to identify potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by external attackers. Red Sentry’s process consists of four key phases:

1 | Reconnaissance phase

We gather as much publicly available information as possible about the target without directly interacting with its systems. This includes identifying active hosts, open ports, and attempting to evade security defenses such as firewalls. Depending on the client’s requirements, we also enumerate subdomains related to the identified hosts and domains. We also conduct passive reconnaissance by collecting information from public sources like WHOIS data and DNS records.

2 | Fingerprinting phase

During the active reconnaissance phase, we identify the specific services running on each discovered asset (a combination of host and port). This includes determining the technology and versions in use, which can help in identifying vulnerabilities and informing potential attack strategies.

3 | Exploitation phase

Based on our findings from the reconnaissance and fingerprinting phases, we look for vulnerabilities such as Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) related to the identified technologies. This includes using automated tools and manual code reviews where applicable.
We also perform the following attacks:

Authentication Bypass

Techniques to log in without valid credentials, such as exploiting vulnerabilities through:
> SQL Injections: Manipulating SQL queries to bypass authentication or retrieve sensitive data.
> URL Manipulation: Attempting to access restricted areas by directly navigating to specific URLs.
> Service Exploitation: For each service identified in the fingerprinting phase (e.g., FTP, SSH, HTTP/HTTPS), we attempt to exploit any known vulnerabilities. For HTTP services, we follow the OWASP Top 10 guidelines, aiming to bypass login panels, discover exposed sensitive data, or exploit related CVEs.

> Brute Force Attacks: We use automated tools to perform brute force attacks on login pages discovered in earlier phases, testing common or weak passwords.
> Sensitive Data Exposure: We search for confidential documents and sensitive information exposed by assets found in the previous phase.
> Default Credentials: We check if default credentials (e.g., admin) are still in use, a common oversight that can lead to unauthorized access.

4 | Reporting phase

After completing the penetration test, we compile all findings into a detailed report , following Red Sentry’s standardized template.

  • A summary of the identified vulnerabilities
  • The methods used to exploit them
  • Recommendations for remediation

This methodology ensures a comprehensive assessment of your external perimeter security, helping to identify and address any vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.