TSA’s Proposed Cybersecurity Rule for the Transportation Sector – The Need for Penetration Testing
In an era where cyber threats are increasingly sophisticated, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has proposed a new set of cybersecurity requirements targeting the pipeline, rail, and over-the-road bus (OTRB) sectors. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aims to strengthen protections for critical infrastructure by mandating a comprehensive Cyber Risk Management (CRM) program for certain […]
Web and Mobile Application Fuzzing Best Practices
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably used tools like Ffuf or Gobuster to fuzz an application to expand the attack surface and potentially find sensitive files and directories. Unfortunately, we here at Brackish find that a lot of testers are doing fuzzing incorrectly. Read below to get our Rules of Fuzzing and even a generic […]
Logging – Mobile Application Penetration Testing #6
Welcome back to the long awaited next entry in Brackish Security’s Mobile Application Penetration Testing series. When conducting mobile application penetration testing, inspecting logs on iOS and Android is a crucial step in understanding how an app behaves, particularly in how it handles sensitive data, error handling, and debugging information. Log files can provide insight […]
JavaScript Source Map Vulnerabilities
What is a JavaScript source map file? Source map files map the transformed, minified, or compiled code back to the original source code, and they can often be found exposed publicly in web applications. This is particularly useful for debugging because it allows developers to view and step through the original source code even when […]
IoT Penetration Testing Part 1
IoT Penetration Testing is one of our favorite types of testing here at Brackish Security. This will be the first of a multi-part blog series on embedded device security (the “Internet of Things” or IoT). Our goal is to show how the Brackish security team approaches an IoT pentest, including detailed methodologies and examples. IoT […]
What is Blind XSS?
You may have heard of Reflected Cross Site Scripting (XSS) or Stored XSS, but what is Blind XSS? Unlike traditional XSS attacks, where the immediate impact is visible, Blind XSS vulnerabilities are typically triggered when the malicious input is viewed by a different user, often an administrator or a support person, at a later time […]
Android Studio – Mobile Application Penetration Testing #5
Welcome back to our series on Mobile Application Penetration Testing! In this post we will discuss Android Studio and Android Debug Bridge. If you’re new to this, you might want to go read from the beginning or check out the previous post. But not only will we discuss Android Studio and Android Debug Bridge, we […]
IIS Short File Name Enumeration
Microsoft IIS short file name enumeration is a technique used to discover the filenames and directories on a web server running IIS. This method exploits a feature in IIS related to how it handles file and directory names. This vulnerability is kind of the gift that keeps on giving. As of writing, it’s been around […]
Even More MobSF – Mobile Application Penetration Testing #4
In this part of the guide we go over more of the MobSF output for the YouTube APK
Software and Data Integrity Failures – OWASP Top Ten
Welcome to the final entry in our OWASP Top Ten Series – Software and Data Integrity Failures. If you haven’t read any of the previous ones, check them out. Among the OWASP Top Ten entries, Software and Data Integrity Failures have emerged as a formidable category that encapsulates a range of issues where assumptions about […]
More MobSF – Mobile Application Penetration Testing #3
Mobile Application Penetration Testing
Mobile Application Penetration Testing – #2 – MobSF Intro
If you haven’t read the previous entry in the Mobile Application Penetration Testing series, check it out. In this post we will start in with a frequently use mobile application security tool – MobSF. This is a tool that you’ll pretty much want to use on every mobile test that you do. As said before, […]
Mobile Application Penetration Testing – #1 – Getting Started
Welcome to the first of many parts of our series on Mobile Application Penetration Testing. We wanted to write this series because it seems like a lot of the material out there on mobile application penetration testing is out of date, wrong, or lacking. Furthermore, when it comes to mobile application penetration testing, there are […]
Turkeys Will Get Stuffed Soon. Credentials Will Get Stuffed Now.
Introduction Credential stuffing is a form of cyberattack where attackers use automated scripts to try a large number of username and password combinations (usually obtained from previous breaches) on multiple websites, hoping that individuals have reused their credentials. While this attack method is not sophisticated, its simplicity and effectiveness make it a go-to strategy for […]
Guarding the Digital Front Door: The External Penetration Test
The demand and pressure for penetration testing services are growing every day – ethical hackers are racing to find all the vulnerabilities before the not so ethical ones do. The subject of penetration testing has expanded and deepened, with each specific area, whether web application, IoT, wireless, or even mobile, carrying significant importance. Arguably, the […]
White Box Web Application Testing for Pentesters and Bug Bounty Hunters
White box web application penetration testing is one of my favorite things to do in the security world. If you’re new to this, “white box” means you have access to the source code of the application you’re testing. Keep in mind that the vast majority of what I will discuss in this post actually applies […]
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October is the Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and at Brackish Security, we’re not just marking our calendars – we’re taking action! We understand the devastating impacts phishing attacks can have on individuals and organizations alike. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our ‘Free Phishing Campaign’ in honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Understanding Phishing Phishing is a […]
OWASP Top Ten – Insecure Design
Insecure Design was a new entry when the latest version of the OWASP Top Ten was released in 2021. An really, what it gets at is a good lesson – Designing an application with security in mind can go a long way in ensuring that the end product is robust against all sorts of vulnerabilities. […]
OWASP Top Ten – Security Misconfiguration
What exactly is a Security Misconfiguration? It seems kind of nebulous, right? Well, that’s because it is. This vulnerability covers a wide range of issues that are some of the most prevalent in the wild and manifests in different forms—unnecessary default settings, overly verbose error handling, and unprotected files and directories, to name a few. […]
OWASP Top Ten – Broken Access Control
First things first, did you know that the OWASP acronym has changed from Open Web Application Security Project to Open Worldwide Application Security Project? Neither did we! But onto the real stuff. Today we have another entry in the OWASP Top Ten Series – Broken Access Control. This is one of the most prevalent vulnerabilities […]
Is Caido The New Burp?
There has been some buzz around Caido recently – a contender to the Burp crown. Brackish Security testers recently sat down and tried Caido out on some real pentests. Our findings follow. Keep in mind that Caido is still fairly new, while Burp has been in development and use for a very long time. Additionally, […]
The Shield of Cyberspace: Understanding Web Application Firewalls
Introduction In our digital age, data security has grown into an essential necessity, not just a luxury. As companies depend heavily on web applications to offer their services, protecting these platforms against cyber threats becomes crucial. Here enters the Web Application Firewall (WAF) – a potent tool designed to safeguard web applications from a multitude […]
Penetration Testing: White Box, Black Box, and Grey Box Testing
In this post, we’ll dive into the definitions and differences between white box, black box, and grey box testing so that you can better understand these essential techniques for securing your attack surface. But first, let’s get the basics right. What is penetration testing? In simple terms, it’s the practice of identifying vulnerabilities, weaknesses, or […]
Certification Pinning and Root Detection: Helpful but Not Unhackable
Introduction As mobile app developers, we are constantly striving to create secure and reliable applications for our users. To achieve this, we often employ various security measures such as certificate pinning and root detection. While these practices undoubtedly enhance the security of a mobile app, it’s important to understand that no solution is ever completely […]
Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) Vulnerabilities: Understanding, Exploiting, and Detecting
Introduction Insecure Direct Object Reference, or IDOR, is a common security vulnerability that exposes sensitive data and allows unauthorized access to resources. It is a critical issue that often appears in the OWASP Top Ten, a list of the most prevalent security risks in web applications. In this blog post, we will discuss what IDOR […]
OWASP Mobile Application Security Testing Guide (MASTG)
Intro With the ever increasing use of mobile applications in various aspects of our lives, ensuring the security and privacy of users has become a top priority for developers and organizations alike. As mobile applications store and process sensitive data, securing them against potential attacks is of utmost importance. The Open Web Application Security Project […]
Reflected XSS: Differences and Relationship with Stored and DOM XSS
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) is a prevalent security vulnerability in web applications that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users. In this blog post, we will explore the concept of reflected XSS, compare it with stored and DOM XSS, and discuss if reflected XSS can also be stored or DOM XSS. […]
Unraveling the Intricacies of IoT Penetration Testing
Internet of What? The Internet of Things (IoT) penetration testing is needed more than ever as IoT devices have become an essential component of our everyday lives, with smart devices seamlessly integrating into various aspects of our routines. From wearable fitness trackers to smart home appliances, the IoT ecosystem is growing exponentially, promising greater convenience, […]
OWASP Top Ten – Cryptographic Failures
OWASP Top Ten – Cryptographic Failures The world of cybersecurity is constantly evolving as new threats and vulnerabilities emerge. This includes Cryptographic Failures. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top Ten is a widely recognized list of the most critical security risks to web applications. One of the entries on this list is Cryptographic […]
Now With Merch!
After receiving many inquiries about t-shirts and other merchandise, we are pleased to announce our store – https://shop.brackish.io. We will be added more products shortly, so stay tuned!
OWASP Top Ten – Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
What is an SSRF? The next entry in our OWASP Top Ten Series covers Server Side Request Forgeries. Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF) is a security vulnerability that occurs when an attacker is able to make HTTP requests to an internal or external system from a vulnerable server, effectively using the server as a proxy. […]
IoT Testing
Here at Brackish, we’ve recently received inquiries from several customers in regards to testing their IoT devices. We took a look at our current roster of testers and while we do have some experience testing IoT devices, it wasn’t something we felt comfortable charging our clients for at this point. With that said, one of […]
Insecure Deserialization
Introduction Insecure deserialization is a cybersecurity vulnerability that affects various programming languages, including C#, Java, PHP, Python, and others. This article explores the dangers of insecure deserialization, how it affects different languages, and how developers can mitigate the risks. Additionally, we will discuss the roles of penetration testing and source code reviews in helping companies […]
Phishing, Domain Names, and TLDs
As a small or medium-sized business owner, you may be aware of the threat of phishing attacks. Phishing is a common technique used by cybercriminals to trick people into giving away sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers. One way to protect your business against these attacks is to buy common domain […]
OWASP Top Ten – Identification and Authentication Failures
Identification and Authentication Failures Today we will cover Identification and Authentication Failures in our series on the OWASP Top Ten. Online security has become a crucial aspect of modern life. Today, every business is a tech business, and it becomes increasingly important to ensure that sensitive data and information are protected from unauthorized access. One […]
Local Administrator Accounts
Local administrator accounts are commonly used in Active Directory/internal networks to manage individual computers. These accounts have full control over the local computer, which can be a security risk if used carelessly. The use of local administrator accounts should be minimized to reduce the potential security vulnerabilities they pose to the network. One of the […]
Phishing – The Most Important Thing?
It seems like every day we see in the news that another organization was compromised. If we dig deep into the root cause of these breaches we find a very common theme – phishing. Phishing is the act of sending fraudulent emails or messages with the intention of tricking the recipient into revealing sensitive information […]
TLS Versions Explained
Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a widely-used protocol for securing communications on the internet. TLS is responsible for establishing a secure and encrypted connection between two communicating devices, ensuring that the data transmitted between them is protected from eavesdropping, tampering, and other attacks. TLS has undergone several revisions over the years, with TLS 1.0 and […]
WordPress Security
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world, powering over 40% of all websites on the internet. However, with great popularity comes a great responsibility to keep the WordPress installation secure. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the best practices that users should follow to ensure the […]
Why you need a DMZ
Why you need a DMZ In today’s interconnected world, network design and segmentation are crucial for the security and performance of an organization’s IT infrastructure. A well-designed network should be segmented to isolate critical assets and minimize the impact of a potential security breach. One common approach to network segmentation is the use of a […]
How ChatGPT Helps Us
How ChatGPT Helps Us Recently, Brackish was conducting a phishing engagement, and we had the idea to try out ChatGPT to help us build our phishing infrastructure. We’ve already built this stuff manually, so this experiment would give us an idea of exactly how helpful ChatGPT can be for us in “real” situations. The Engagement […]
What are Weak Hashing Algorithms
“SSL Certificate signed using weak hashing algorithm” refers to a security vulnerability in the SSL/TLS certificate used by a website. A hashing algorithm is used to create a unique digital signature for the certificate, which is then used to encrypt communications between the website and its visitors. If a weak hashing algorithm is used, the […]
Attack Surface Management
Introduction External attack surface management (ASM) refers to the process of identifying, analyzing, and mitigating security risks and vulnerabilities that originate from outside an organization’s network. The focus of external ASM is to protect against threats such as hackers, cybercriminals, and malicious software that can target public-facing systems and applications. These threats can pose a […]
Data Privacy Day
What is Data Privacy? Data privacy is a critical issue in today’s digital age, as more and more personal information is being collected, stored, and shared by companies and organizations. It is important to ensure that individuals’ personal information is protected and kept private to prevent misuse and abuse. One of the major concerns with […]
Taking Over Organizr Accounts
Today we have another rate-limiting issue. While this one is not as impactful as the previous one – it’s still fun. Organizr is a self-hosted application written in PHP that basically helps you self-host other services at your home. It’s nifty application with a surprisingly large amount of functionality. We were recently poking at it […]
OWASP Top Ten – Injection
OWASP Top Ten – Injection Today’s entry in the OWASP Top Ten series is Injection. If we are going to call a vulnerability a classic, this would be it. In the latest version of the OWASP Top Ten, the venerable vulnerability Cross Site Scripting has been combined with other classic injections, such as SQL injection, […]
TutorTrac Multiple Stored XSS
TutorTrac Multiple Stored XSS Brackish researchers found authenticated stored cross-site-scripting (XSS) in TutorTrac version <= 4.2.170210. An authenticated attacker could utilize crafted input in several locations throughout the application to perform XSS attacks. This is a standard stored XSS attack that can be used to steal user’s sessions cookies, amongst other things. Injection is a […]
OWASP Top Ten – Insufficient Logging & Monitoring
Insufficient Logging & Monitoring This week’s entry in the OWASP Top Ten series is Insufficient Logging & Monitoring. This is one of those things that organizations often don’t realize they are missing until it is too late. People sometimes overlook this one because it’s not an attack or a threat in the common usage of […]
OWASP Top Ten – Vulnerable and Outdated Components
Vulnerable and Outdated Components This is the first post in a series of posts that will cover the OWASP Top Ten. Today’s post will cover Vulnerable and Outdated Components. This is a very common vulnerability found in nearly every penetration test. It basically boils down to using software that has not been updated and/or software […]
Why Your Business Needs A Penetration Test
Introduction A penetration test is a method of security testing that can help you identify vulnerabilities and prevent hackers from stealing your business’s data. Penetration testing is a critical part of any cybersecurity strategy, but many businesses don’t even know that it exists—let alone how to get started with one. In this article, we’ll cover […]
