A critical vulnerability that took literally a few seconds to be found.
Sometimes, the most critical security vulnerabilities don't hide inside a complex web application; they're sitting in plain sight on the internet. In the world of penetration testing, one of the most powerful and often underrated skills is OSINT, or Open-Source Intelligence. It's the art of gathering information from publicly available sources, and it can be the difference between a successful test and a missed opportunity.
The Unspoken Truth About Security
In the fast-paced world of startups, there's often a tension between speed and security. Developers are under pressure to build and ship new features quickly, and sometimes, corners get cut. Credentials end up in the wrong places, and sensitive information is accidentally leaked. As ethical hackers, our job is to find these leaks before malicious actors do.
I've seen it countless times, and in one of my recent penetration tests, I came across a perfect example. I'm unable to share specific details due to the sensitive nature of the case and the non-disclosure agreements in place. However, I can walk you through the general scenario and what made this a truly eye-opening experience.
A Real-World OSINT Breakthrough
I can't share specifics due to a non-disclosure agreement, but I can tell you about a recent experience.
After spending a significant amount of time doing complex web application testing, checking for SQL injections, XSS, and other common issues, I decided to take a break. I switched to something less demanding: OSINT and Google dorking. This "brain-on-break" activity often uncovers things you miss when you're deep in the technical testing.
One simple search led to a discovery: a cached result from a third-party service. This result contained excessive information that shouldn't have been public, including a critical API key.
The key was active and wide open. There were no usage limits, no alerts, and no throttling. An attacker could have used this key to make an infinite number of calls, causing massive and crippling financial damage to the company.
With one exposed key found in a cached response and a single query, I could have drained their funds.
OSINT Tips for Your Next Pentest
If you're a security professional, don't underestimate the power of open-source intelligence. You would not believe what can be found online. Here are a few tips to get started:
- Think beyond the app. Research the company, its employees, and its third-party services. What are they using? What might be exposed?
- Use targeted keywords. Combine the company name with terms like
api key,password,config, or file types likefiletype:envorfiletype:log.
You'll be amazed at what forgotten data lingers online.
Your job is to look everywhere and find these mistakes before the wrong people do. A single exposed key can be the difference between a secure system and a complete breach.
What have you found with your OSINT investigations? Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn.