Enhancing Security Through Red Teaming in E-Commerce

Background

Our client, an e-commerce company, initially engaged our services for white-box testing to evaluate the security of their platform. This involved following a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) aligned with the client's specifications.

White-Box Testing Phase

The white-box testing phase was completed efficiently within a timeframe of 12-14 days. Our thorough examination identified several medium and low severity vulnerabilities. Fortunately, no critical bugs were detected, leading to the client expressing satisfaction with the results.

Transition to Red Teaming

Impressed by the outcomes of the white-box testing, the client granted us permission to transition into a red teaming role. In this expanded role, our focus extended beyond the main domain to include testing the security of the company's subdomains.

What is Red Teaming and how can it help cybersecurity?

During the red teaming phase, a more aggressive approach was taken to simulate real-world attacks. This involved testing the robustness of the company's subdomains. To our surprise, we uncovered significant vulnerabilities, particularly within the payment gateway domain. Noteworthy vulnerabilities included SQL injection and remote code execution, posing serious threats to the platform's integrity.

Exploitation and Gaining Access

Leveraging the identified vulnerabilities, we successfully executed attacks, manipulating database content, exfiltrating sensitive information, and potentially achieving remote code execution. The severity of these vulnerabilities became evident as we successfully rooted the server, gaining root access to the main domain.

Results and Recommendations

The red teaming phase revealed critical vulnerabilities that were not initially apparent during the white-box testing. Our findings highlighted potential risks associated with the payment gateway domain, emphasizing the need for heightened security measures.

Recommendations included

1. Immediate Patching: Urgent patching of identified vulnerabilities to mitigate potential threats.
2. Enhanced Monitoring: Implementation of robust monitoring systems to detect and respond to unusual activities promptly.
3. Employee Training: Conducting training sessions to educate employees on best security practices to prevent social engineering attacks.