The eWeb Application Penetration Testing (eWPT) certification exam offered by INE is intended for individuals who want to demonstrate their expertise in identifying security vulnerabilities within web applications and understanding how to secure them effectively. The eWPT exam is a practical, hands-on assessment that evaluates one's ability to conduct thorough penetration tests on web applications. Demonstrating proficiency in various areas, including web application architecture, OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, manual web application penetration testing techniques, and reporting.

During the exam, you must identify and exploit security vulnerabilities within a simulated web application environment. It leverages the knowledge of common web application attack vectors, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF), to successfully compromise the target system. It tests the ability to perform comprehensive security assessments, accurately identify vulnerabilities, and provide actionable recommendations for improving the security posture of web applications. Additionally, it also evaluates the understanding of industry best practices and proficiency in using various penetration testing tools.

My Recommendations:

The exam requires perseverance, thorough enumeration, and the ability to adapt. Practice, manage your time and energy, and focus on your weaknesses. Use multiple tools, search for exploits and vulnerabilities, and try different approaches. Don’t give up; keep trying harder.

Tips for the eWPT. (Applicable for any penetration testing or examination)

• 📝 Thorough enumeration is crucial for success. It involves exhaustively exploring all options, such as scanning all ports, identifying services and vulnerabilities, and gathering information.

• 🛠️ Don’t settle for one tool. Try multiple tools for better results.

• 🚪 Don’t skip easy wins. They can lead to important credentials or sensitive data and confirm results.

• 🔍 Be specific in web searches for exploits and vulnerabilities. Adding keywords like “exploit,” “vulnerability,” and specific sources like GitHub can help find actual code and proof-of-concepts.

• 💦 Spray usernames as passwords to gather more information. Creating a separate file for spraying can help differentiate between potential and actual passwords.

• 🗝️ Always check for default credentials. They can provide access. Many systems and services have default usernames and passwords often left unchanged, providing an easy entry point.

• 🧩 Be flexible and persistent. Try different approaches if one fails. Trying alternative methods or exploits with the same vulnerability can lead to success if one approach or exploit doesn't work.

• 👨‍💻 Understand what you’re doing, read documentation and code. Reading documentation, code, and comments can help grasp the inner workings of exploits and vulnerabilities, enabling customization and adaptation to different scenarios.

• ❌ Don’t run exploits blindly. Understand their functionality. Reading through exploits' code, documentation, and comments is crucial for success.

• 🔄 If one exploit doesn’t work, try another with the same vulnerability. Multiple exploits are usually available for known vulnerabilities, and exploring different options can lead to success.

  • Searchsploit, exploitDB, github, POC’s, etc.

• Consult or ask experienced individuals in discord/slack, etc groups for any doubts you come across.