Introduction to Web Penetration Testing

What is Web Application Penetration Testing? Full Guide 2025

All Phases of Penetration Testing (Stages and Process)

What is Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES)? Different Stages Explained

Information Gathering

Understanding Information Gathering in Web Application Penetration Testing

Network Scanning in Pentesting

Understanding Network Scanning in Web Application Penetration Testing

Vulnerability Assessment

Vulnerability Assessment in Website Penetration Testing

Attacks and Vulnerabilities

What is Parameter Tampering and Temptation Attack in Penetration Testing & Cybersecurity?

What is SQL Injection (SQLi) Attack in Website & Web Application? Explained

What is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Attack & Vulnerability? Meaning, Types, Methodology, Countermeasures

What Are Local File Inclusion (LFI) & Remote File Inclusion (RFI) Vulnerabilities? Difference Explained

What is Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Vulnerability? CSRF Attack Explained With Example

Host Header Injection

What is Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) Vulnerability in Web API?

What is Session Hijacking Attack in Cyber Security? Meaning & Definition

What is Denial of Service Attack? DoS Attack and Its Types

What is System Hacking in Ethical Hacking? Meaning & Definition

Bug Reporting

What is Bug Reporting in Testing? Bug Report Meaning

How to Write a Bug Report? Bug Scoring, Format, Template

Web Penetration Testing Using Python

Introduction to Python for Web Application Penetration Testing

Fundamentals of Python for Web App Penetration Testing

Pentesting Using Shell Scripting

Shell Scripting Tutorial: Full Guide to With Basics & Cool Scripts to Learn Shell Scripting

Advanced Concepts

Agile Penetration Testing: Use, Benefits, Lifecycle, Methodology

DAST vs Penetration Testing (All Differences & Comparison)

10 Best Penetration Testing Tools in 2025 (Pentesting Tools & Toolkit)

All Types of Penetration Testing (With Examples & Details 2025)

Continuous Penetration Testing: Benefits, Cost, Full Guide

Full Checklist for Web App Pentesting (2025 Cheat Sheet)

20 Best Web Application Penetration Testing Tools in 2025

Website Penetration Testing - Certificate

<p>In an increasingly interconnected world, web applications have become a cornerstone of modern business operations. From e-commerce platforms to social networking sites, these dynamic and interactive interfaces allow users to access information, conduct transactions, and communicate seamlessly. However, the convenience and efficiency of web applications come hand in hand with potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious actors. This is where web app penetration testing comes into play.</p>
<p>Web application penetration testing is a systematic process of evaluating the security of web applications by simulating real-world attacks. The primary objective is to uncover vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and potential entry points that could be exploited by attackers to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the application and its underlying data.</p>
<p>This comprehensive web application penetration testing tutorial aims to provide an in-depth exploration, equipping both aspiring security professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities within web applications. Through a structured and methodical approach, this tutorial on web app pentesting will guide you through various stages, enabling you to assess the security posture of web applications effectively.</p>

Website Penetration Testing - Example

Web App Penetration Testing Interview Questions

Welcome to the most comprehensive and practical Web Application Penetration Testing tutorial for beginners. Everything is explained in simple terms!

Web Application Penetration Testing Tutorial (Full Guide 2025)

Web App Penetration Testing Tutorial

Web App Penetration Testing Quiz

Acquire essential skills required to become a pro web penetration tester.

Web Application Penetration Testing Tutorial (Web App Pentesting Guide)

Introduction

Phases of Penetration Testing

Test your knowledge with a Quick Quiz!

<p dir="ltr">Penetration testing (pen testing) is a simulated attack on a computer system or network to assess its security. It is a valuable tool for organizations of all sizes to identify and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There are multiple phases of penetration testing process including:</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Pre-engagement phase</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Reconnaissance phase</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Scanning phase</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Gaining access</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Maintaining access</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Analysis phase</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Reporting and remediation</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">In this post, we will go into detail about all pen testing steps.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Let&rsquo;s look at each of the 7 phases of pen testing:</strong></p>
<h3 dir="ltr" role="presentation">1. Pre-engagement Phase</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Pre-engagement is the first phase of penetration testing engagement which is often left out. However, it is fundamental for organizations and penetration testers to be on the same page.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">During this phase, the scope, objectives, and rules of engagement are defined. The penetration testing team and the client collaborate to determine the systems, networks, applications, and testing methodologies to be used. Legal and ethical boundaries are also established.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr" role="presentation">2. Reconnaissance Phase</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Reconnaisance is the second phase of penetration testing. In this phase, the penetration tester gathers information about the target environment. This includes passive reconnaissance (collecting publicly available information from sources like social media, company websites, and search engines) and active reconnaissance (probing the target's network to discover potential entry points).</p>
<p dir="ltr">Hackers need to know as much as possible whether to target an entire network or a single web application. That is precisely how a pentester approaches the target. The scoping done in the earlier phase helps the pentester narrow down the recon to enhance efficiency.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">There are two kinds of reconnaissance-</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Active reconnaissance</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">The pen testers directly engage with the target system to gather data. Though this is a more accurate way to reconnaissance, it makes a lot of noise since the intruder interacts with the system.</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<h4 dir="ltr" role="presentation">Passive reconnaissance</h4>
</li>
</ul>
<h4 dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fb9c0e16-7fff-6648-caf0-0a9d88f7989e" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></h4>
<p dir="ltr">Here, the intruder does not interact with the target system. They use passive strategies instead to collect data by trying to eavesdrop on network traffic, trace OS or internet footprinting.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr" role="presentation">3. Scanning Phase of Pen Testing</h3>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.tutorialsfreak.com/web-application-penetration-testing-tutorial/network-scanning-in-web-penetration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scanning</a> is the third phase of penetration testing. It involves using various tools to identify live systems, open ports, and services available on the target network.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">This step helps the penetration tester discover potential vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that could be exploited.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The scanning stage of penetration testing consists of asset analysis using tools like<a href="https://www.tutorialsfreak.com/nmap-tutorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Nmap</a>, a network scanner. This is used to identify hosts and services on a computer network by transferring packets and analyzing the responses.&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Here, the tester can gain information on available assets and information, such as open ports, operating systems, and services that are running.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr" role="presentation">4. Gaining Access</h3>
<p dir="ltr">The is the fourth phase of pentesting where the penetration tester attempts to exploit the identified vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to the target system or application. The goal is to demonstrate how an attacker might exploit these vulnerabilities in a controlled manner, without causing any damage.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr" role="presentation">5. Maintaining Access</h3>
<p dir="ltr">Once initial access is gained, the penetration tester may seek to maintain a foothold within the system. This involves creating backdoors or other methods of access to simulate a persistent attacker.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr" role="presentation">6. Analysis Phase</h3>
<p dir="ltr">After the penetration testing team has completed their efforts, they analyze the results to understand the extent of the vulnerabilities and the potential impact of successful exploitation. This phase also involves determining the potential business risks associated with the vulnerabilities and proposing mitigation strategies.</p>
<h3 dir="ltr" role="presentation">7. Reporting and Remediation Phase</h3>
<p dir="ltr">In this final phase, the penetration testing team creates a detailed report that outlines the findings, including vulnerabilities discovered, exploitation methods used, and the potential impact on the organization. The report may also include recommendations for remediation and mitigation strategies to address the identified security gaps.</p>

<p>The role of a vulnerability scan is to check for vulnerabilities found with little or no user interaction.</p>

FAQs Related to Pen Testing Stages and Phases

Web Application Penetration Testing is comprised of five main phrases: Discovery & Pre-engagement Tasks, Attempt to Penetration, Analyze Report, and more.