Pentesting Manual Techniques

Overview:

• This repository documents a complete professional web application penetration testing lifecycle, focused on manual reconnaissance, exploitation reasoning, risk analysis, and executive reporting.
• It reflects real-world security consulting workflows used during authorized penetration tests and red team engagements.

The emphasis is on:

• Understanding attack surfaces
• Identifying trust boundaries
• Chaining vulnerabilities
• Demonstrating real business impact

Rather than relying solely on automated scanners.

All techniques align with:

• OWASP Top 10
• OWASP API Security Top 10
• PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard)
• MITRE ATT&CK
• Real-world adversarial workflows

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Objectives

• Demonstrate end-to-end professional pentesting methodology
• Show how reconnaissance becomes exploitation paths
• Document manual testing commands and techniques
• Provide repeatable assessment workflows
• Showcase consulting-grade security thinking

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Testing Methodology

Testing follows a structured multi-phase lifecycle:

1. Reconnaissance & OSINT
2. DNS & TLS Intelligence
3. Active Enumeration
4. HTTP & Routing Fingerprinting
5. Application Attack Surface Mapping
6. Parameter Discovery & Input Enumeration
7. Authentication & Session Management
8. Authorization & Access Control Testing
9. Business Logic Testing
10. Vulnerability Chaining & Attack Paths
11. Risk Prioritization & Impact Analysis
12. Reporting & Executive Communication

Each phase builds on the previous one, ensuring findings are:

• Evidence-based
• Reproducible
• Business-impact focused
• Consultant-ready

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Repository Structure

pentesting-manual-techniques/ │ ├── 01-reconnaissance/ ├── 02-dns-and-tls-intelligence/ ├── 03-active-dns-enumeration/ ├── 04-http-and-routing-fingerprinting/ ├── 05-application-attack-surface-mapping/ ├── 06-parameter-discovery-and-input-enumeration/ ├── 07-authentication-and-session-management/ ├── 08-authorization-and-access-control/ ├── 09-business-logic-testing/ ├── 10-vulnerability-chaining-and-attack-paths/ ├── 11-risk-prioritization-and-impact-analysis/ ├── 12-reporting-and-executive-communication/ │ └── README.md

Each directory contains detailed methodology, commands, evidence examples, and professional testing workflows.

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Application Entry Point & Attack Surface Mapping (Example)

• Attack surface mapping identifies all reachable entry points where user-controlled input interacts with application logic.

This phase establishes the foundation for:

• Authentication bypass
• IDOR testing
• Injection flaws
• Business logic abuse
• Privilege escalation

Entry Point Summary:

Endpoint	Method	Parameters	Auth Required	Security Notes
/login	POST	email, password	No	Authentication entry point
/register	POST	email, password	No	Account creation logic
/api/user	GET	id	Yes	Potential IDOR
/upload	POST	file	Yes	File upload handling
/admin	GET	—	Yes	Privileged interface

Techniques Used:

• Manual browsing and link traversal
• HTTP request inspection (Burp / curl)
• JavaScript endpoint discovery
• API enumeration
• Parameter mining
• Forced browsing analysis

Why This Matters:

• A complete attack surface prevents blind testing, reduces false positives, and allows prioritization of high-impact vulnerabilities early in the engagement.

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Professional Focus:

This repository emphasizes:

• Manual testing over automation
• Reasoned exploitation
• Business risk mapping
• Client-ready documentation
• Ethical security research

It is designed to reflect how professional penetration testers operate in consulting and enterprise environments.

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Disclaimer:

• All techniques documented here are for authorized security testing and educational purposes only.
• No live exploits, zero-day vulnerabilities, or unauthorized attack instructions are included.

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Author:

Mishack (Chinaza) Victor Web, Network & Cloud Penetration Tester

OWASP • PTES • MITRE ATT&CK aligned

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mishack-victor-728783358
Portfolio: https://www.harkarvogsecurity.com Email: mishackvictor4@gmail.com