In this project, I conducted a black box penetration test against the “Altoro Mutual” web application hosted at http://testfire.net. I initiated the test without prior knowledge of the system, simulating an external attacker’s perspective. I started by performing domain reconnaissance using whois, nslookup, and dig to gather IP and registrar information. I identified open ports and services using nmap, revealing Apache Tomcat and HTTP/HTTPS services. Using theHarvester, I discovered multiple subdomains that expanded the attack surface.

I proceeded with vulnerability scanning using tools like Nikto, Gobuster, and wfuzz, uncovering missing HTTP security headers, sensitive directories, and weak authentication mechanisms. I manually tested authentication, successfully bypassed login controls using default credentials and SQL injection techniques (' OR '1'='1). I validated access to the admin panel and confirmed the ability to exploit weak configurations. I complemented my findings with an informational Nessus scan that detected additional service exposures.

Finally, I compiled a remediation report, recommending fixes such as implementing proper security headers, disabling unnecessary HTTP methods, securing authentication mechanisms, and hardening directory access. My testing demonstrated real-world exploitation techniques, and the report highlighted serious risks, including full web application compromise, insecure credential management, and input sanitization flaws. Through this penetration test, I demonstrated comprehensive skills in reconnaissance, vulnerability identification, exploitation, and secure remediation planning.