What should you include in a penetration testing report?

What many pentesters forget when writing a final findings report is WHO they are writing the report for. The report is for the client and to help the client achieve their goals, goals which are the reason why the pentester was hired in the first place. It isn't just about having specific items included in the Executive Summary, but that they are written for the right audience - the (paying) client.

Here are the key components to include in a valuable penetration testing report: Executive Summary: High-level overview of findings and recommendations Scope and Methodology: Explanation of the test's scope and techniques used Findings and Analysis: Detailed documentation of vulnerabilities discovered Risk Assessment: Evaluation of the overall risk posed by identified vulnerabilities Recommendations: Clear and actionable steps for remediation Technical Details: Supporting evidence and technical information for each vulnerability

Summarize is the key goal of the report. Provide brief overview of the major findings without delving into technical specifics

Here's what I would do to create a comprehensive penetration testing report: 1. Executive Summary: Provide a high-level overview of the test, objectives, and key findings. 2. Methodology: Describe the testing methods and tools used. 3. Findings: Detail the vulnerabilities discovered, including their severity, location, and potential impact. 4. Evidence: Include screenshots, logs, or other evidence of the findings. 5. Recommendations: Offer actionable recommendations for each vulnerability to remediate the issues. 6. Conclusion: Summarize the overall security posture and suggest next steps.

The executive summary is paramount, serving as a bridge between technical findings and strategic decisions. It should encapsulate the essence of the vulnerabilities, emphasizing their potential business impact. A non-technical audience must find this summary accessible, enabling them to grasp the severity of the issues at hand without delving into the complexities. Highlighting urgent vulnerabilities here ensures immediate attention from decision-makers, fostering a culture of prompt remediation.

Clearly defining the scope and objectives sets the stage for the entire penetration testing process. It contextualizes the findings, offering stakeholders a lens through which to view the results. This section must articulate the boundaries of the test, the methodologies employed, and the specific goals aimed at, ensuring a transparent and mutual understanding between the cybersecurity team and the organization’s leadership.

To ensure people understand the report, you gotta lay out scope and objectives clearly! Detail what was tested—systems, domains, IPs, webapps—and where—PROD, QA, Pre-PROD. Explain your access and privileges: Did you have credentials or prior info? Make it all clear in the report! Also, highlight the main pentesting goals. Were you trying to compromise a specific account, system, server, or domain? Explain how and why! And don't forget to mention the standards you're using as methodologies and frameworks. Keep it simple and straightforward for the reader!

The "Scope and Objectives" section of a penetration testing report details the boundaries and goals of the test. It outlines the tested environments, systems, or applications, specifies the testing methods used (e.g., black box, white box), and clarifies the objectives, such as identifying vulnerabilities, assessing security posture, or verifying compliance. This section ensures all stakeholders understand the extent and purpose of the penetration test.

In the scope and objectives section of a penetration testing report, it's crucial to provide a clear roadmap for readers. This includes outlining the parameters of the testing, such as target systems, networks, and applications, as well as the methodology used. Detailing the testing type (e.g., black box, gray box), duration, and tools employed adds transparency. Additionally, mentioning compliance standards followed and any assumptions made during testing ensures a comprehensive understanding of the assessment's context and limitations. This section sets the stage for interpreting the report's findings accurately.

This section can be seen as the summary of your report. It goes over what will be tested and the reason of this exercise. It is crucial to clearly indicate what will be tested to notice your team and avoid causing an issue in your operations if it goes out of the limits. Also, it is a great opportunity to prioritize what needs to be tested and avoid wasting time on systems that aren't critical for the company.

Penetration testing follows a structured approach: 1. Pre-engagement: Define scope and rules. 2. Reconnaissance: Passive and active information gathering. 3. Enumeration: Identify services and users. 4. Vulnerability Analysis: Automated scanning and manual review. 5. Exploitation: Develop and execute exploits. 6. Post-exploitation: Maintain access and exfiltrate data. 7. Reporting: Document findings, provide recommendations, and debrief stakeholders.

Detailing the methodology and approach provides credibility and replicability to the testing process. It outlines the strategic execution of the test, from reconnaissance to exploitation, and eventually to reporting. This transparency is crucial for stakeholders to appreciate the thoroughness and rigor of the security assessment, reinforcing trust in the cybersecurity practices of the organization.

The methodology and approach section is crucial! It's literally where you break down the testing process step by step, so make sure you cover all the bases: recon, scanning, enumeration, exploitation, post-exploitation, and reporting. This part is crucial for giving your testing credibility and transparency. With that said, if you clearly state your methodology and approach, your clients will be aware of the processes you followed throughout the entire engagement!

In a penetration testing report, the "Methodology and Approach" section should succinctly outline the specific steps, tools, and techniques used during the test. It should cover the scope of the test, including targeted systems and networks, and detail the testing phases—reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, post-exploitation, and reporting. This section establishes the test's transparency and reproducibility, ensuring stakeholders understand how findings were derived.

The most important step in the report. This section goes over exactly what was done to access a specific system in your infrastructure. Therefore, this information will give you an insights on what should be implemented to avoid a real incident to happen this way. A great way to put in place an effective strategy that addresses a direct need and issue in your organization.

The heart of the report lies in its findings and analysis. This section should not only enumerate vulnerabilities but also provide a nuanced understanding of their implications. A comprehensive risk assessment, paired with actionable recommendations, empowers organizations to prioritize and address vulnerabilities effectively. Documentation here must be meticulous, ensuring that each identified issue is accompanied by a clear path to mitigation.

In the findings and analysis section, we delve deep into the outcomes of the testing process, meticulously examining the identified vulnerabilities. We quantify their severity, assess risk, and classify them accordingly. Each vulnerability is dissected, offering a comprehensive description, explanation of its impact, likelihood of exploitation, and root cause analysis. Supported by credible references, our analysis aims to provide clarity and actionable insights to stakeholders, guiding them towards effective remediation strategies.

One thing to understand is that by the time you receive these finding and analysis, they may be out of date. The reason being is that your attack surface changes daily, there are new vulnerabilities discovered daily. So take these findings as important, but always be curious on what new vulnerabilities may have popped up since this report came out.

The findings and analysis part is where you lay out all the juicy details of your testing results. Here you should write about the vulnerabilities you found and exploited, giving the details on how many, how severe, and their risk rating and classification. In this section you should dive into every single one vulnerability, providing insights on the following areas: description, explanation, impact, likelihood, root cause, exploitability, and recommendations. PS: This is very important: don't forget to back up your findings with references and sources. This section is all about giving the reader a deep understanding of the testing you did.

In the "Findings and Analysis" section of a penetration testing report, you should succinctly include the vulnerabilities discovered, their impact, and the risk level. Detail the tests conducted, the methods used for exploitation, and evidence of the findings. This section bridges the gap between technical details and actionable insights, guiding stakeholders on understanding the security posture and prioritizing remediation efforts.

The conclusion synthesizes the report, offering a forward-looking perspective. It should not only recapitulate the key vulnerabilities and their potential impacts but also propose a strategic roadmap for remediation. This includes prioritizing actions based on risk, suggesting timelines for implementation, and recommending frequencies for future tests. Such guidance is indispensable for organizations aiming to enhance their security posture in a structured and proactive manner.

For the Conclusion of your penetration test report, wrap up a summary of crucial weaknesses discovered and their possible repercussions. Suggest a hierarchy of fixes, geared by risk severity. Sketch out a roadmap for follow-up checks to confirm issues are resolved, and propose a rhythm for subsequent pen tests, keeping security defenses up to scratch.

Root Cause Analysis with Prioritization A list of problems is not of high value. A list of solutions prioritized is actionable. Which fix more than one of the findings? Suggest patches, secrets to be changed and cleared, firewalls changes needed.

A Pen Test report should have recommeded remediation actions and guidance on how to remediate all weaknesses identified. Report should also included tools and techniques used for testing.

In the conclusions and next steps section of a penetration testing report, highlight key findings, vulnerabilities, and their potential impact. Summarize overall security posture, prioritize critical issues, and provide actionable recommendations for remediation. Include suggestions for improving security controls, patching vulnerabilities, and enhancing incident response capabilities. Emphasize the importance of ongoing monitoring, testing, and training to maintain a robust security posture.

In any comprehensive report, the appendices and attachments serve as invaluable resources, offering a deeper understanding of the testing process and findings. From detailed logs to screenshots and code snippets, these supplementary materials provide context and evidence to support the main report. Moreover, including a glossary of terms ensures clarity for readers unfamiliar with technical jargon, enhancing the accessibility of the document. By providing these additional resources, the report becomes not just a static document but a dynamic tool for understanding and action.

Here's a little wisdom nugget! Sometimes, you don't find anything that is high or critical in severity. When that happens, how can you assure your clients that you've tried everything you could, and even so, no substantial findings were found? Well, you can add a section to your report called "Engagement Narrative" or "Testing Log". Here, you'll provide details on the testing cases you tried, and how the system/application resisted successfully against your attempts. If you do this well enough, the client will be twice as happy! Not only because their systems appear to be fairly secure, but also because they have the knowledge of what their systems showed to be robust against! Keep that in mind ;)

Recommendations Include a section outlining actionable steps to address identified vulnerabilities. Prioritize recommendations based on severity, providing clear instructions, timelines, and responsible stakeholders for remediation. This ensures the report serves as a practical guide for improving security posture.

When working with pentest reports, remember the goal is to strengthen your posture, not point fingers. Pentesters these day are good, very good. They will find flaws - use these as the basis for great communication and planning for the future.

You can show in your pentest report and prioritize to give recommendations based on critical and high vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities with low and medium severity is important to fix as well, but sometimes is not possible to fix all in the same time. So prioritize the vulnerabilities critical and high is important most important that low and medium. Give recommendations of low and medium vulnerabilities, but prioritize critical and high vulnerabilities.