Documentation

Penetration Testing Results

Comprehensive security assessment findings and remediation status

Security Report

Penetration Testing Results

25 min read • Updated March 2025

Executive Summary

ZeroTrustKerberosLink undergoes regular penetration testing by independent security firms to identify and address potential vulnerabilities. This document summarizes the results of our most recent penetration test conducted in March 2025 by SecureHorizon, a leading security assessment firm.

The assessment revealed that ZeroTrustKerberosLink maintains a strong security posture with no critical vulnerabilities identified. A total of 7 findings were reported: 0 critical, 1 high, 2 medium, 3 low, and 1 informational. All high and medium severity issues have been addressed, with the remaining low severity and informational findings scheduled for remediation in upcoming releases.

"ZeroTrustKerberosLink demonstrates a robust security architecture with strong implementation of Zero Trust principles. The identified issues were addressed promptly and comprehensively, indicating a mature security program and development process."

— SecureHorizon Assessment Team

Testing Methodology

The penetration test followed a comprehensive methodology designed to identify security weaknesses across the entire ZeroTrustKerberosLink platform:

  1. Reconnaissance: Gathering information about the target system
  2. Threat Modeling: Identifying potential attack vectors and threats
  3. Vulnerability Analysis: Identifying security weaknesses
  4. Exploitation: Attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities
  5. Post-Exploitation: Assessing the impact of successful exploits
  6. Reporting: Documenting findings and recommendations

The assessment included both automated scanning and manual testing techniques, including:

  • Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
  • Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
  • Infrastructure security assessment
  • Authentication and authorization testing
  • API security testing
  • Cryptographic implementation review

Scope of Assessment

The penetration test covered the following components of ZeroTrustKerberosLink:

Component Description Testing Depth
Authentication Service Kerberos integration and authentication mechanisms Comprehensive
Policy Enforcement Point Access control and policy enforcement Comprehensive
AWS Integration Integration with AWS services and IAM Comprehensive
Management Console Web-based administration interface Comprehensive
API Endpoints REST API for programmatic access Comprehensive
Logging and Monitoring Audit logging and monitoring components Standard

Key Findings

The assessment identified a total of 7 findings across different severity levels:

Insecure JWT Validation

High Severity

The JWT validation process did not properly verify the signature in certain edge cases, potentially allowing token forgery.

Impact

An attacker could potentially forge authentication tokens to gain unauthorized access to protected resources.

Remediation

The JWT validation logic has been updated to enforce strict signature verification in all cases. Additional validation checks have been implemented to prevent token manipulation.

Status

Resolved in version 2.3.1

Insufficient Rate Limiting

Medium Severity

The authentication API lacked sufficient rate limiting, potentially allowing brute force attacks.

Impact

An attacker could attempt to brute force credentials without being blocked after multiple failed attempts.

Remediation

Implemented progressive rate limiting with IP-based and account-based throttling. Added CAPTCHA challenges after multiple failed authentication attempts.

Status

Resolved in version 2.3.2

Verbose Error Messages

Medium Severity

API endpoints returned verbose error messages that could reveal sensitive information about the system architecture.

Impact

Detailed error messages could provide attackers with information useful for crafting targeted attacks.

Remediation

Implemented a standardized error handling framework that returns generic error messages to clients while logging detailed information for administrators.

Status

Resolved in version 2.3.2

Insecure Default Configuration

Low Severity

Default installation did not enforce TLS 1.2+ for all communications.

Impact

If not manually configured, systems could potentially use older, less secure TLS versions.

Remediation

Updated default configuration to enforce TLS 1.2+ for all communications. Added deployment validation to verify secure TLS configuration.

Status

Resolved in version 2.3.3

Missing Security Headers

Low Severity

The web console did not implement all recommended security headers.

Impact

Absence of certain security headers could potentially make the application more vulnerable to client-side attacks.

Remediation

Implemented Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, and other recommended security headers.

Status

Resolved in version 2.3.3

Session Timeout Configuration

Low Severity

Default session timeout was set to 8 hours, which exceeds recommended security best practices.

Impact

Extended session duration increases the risk of session hijacking if a user's device is compromised.

Remediation

Reduced default session timeout to 1 hour and added configurable session timeout settings with documentation on security implications.

Status

Scheduled for version 2.4.0

Outdated Dependencies

Informational

Several non-critical dependencies were not updated to the latest versions.

Impact

While no known vulnerabilities were present in the used versions, staying updated with the latest dependencies is a security best practice.

Remediation

Implemented automated dependency scanning and updating process. Updated all dependencies to latest stable versions.

Status

Scheduled for version 2.4.0

Remediation Status

ZeroTrustKerberosLink has addressed all high and medium severity findings in recent releases:

  • Version 2.3.1 (March 15, 2025): Fixed high severity JWT validation issue
  • Version 2.3.2 (March 28, 2025): Addressed medium severity rate limiting and error message issues
  • Version 2.3.3 (April 10, 2025): Resolved low severity TLS configuration and security header issues
  • Version 2.4.0 (Scheduled for May 15, 2025): Will address remaining low severity and informational findings

The remediation process followed our standard security response procedure:

  1. Immediate triage and risk assessment
  2. Development of security patches
  3. Comprehensive testing in isolated environments
  4. Deployment to production with minimal customer impact
  5. Post-deployment verification

Recommendations

Based on the penetration testing results, we recommend the following security practices for ZeroTrustKerberosLink deployments:

  1. Keep Software Updated: Always update to the latest version of ZeroTrustKerberosLink to benefit from security improvements.
  2. Implement Defense in Depth: Deploy ZeroTrustKerberosLink as part of a layered security strategy.
  3. Follow Hardening Guidelines: Apply the security hardening recommendations in our documentation.
  4. Enable Comprehensive Logging: Configure detailed audit logging and integrate with security monitoring systems.
  5. Conduct Regular Security Reviews: Perform periodic security assessments of your ZeroTrustKerberosLink deployment.

Conclusion

The penetration testing results demonstrate ZeroTrustKerberosLink's commitment to security and the effectiveness of our secure development practices. The identified issues have been or are being addressed promptly, with no critical vulnerabilities discovered.

We maintain a continuous security improvement process, including:

  • Regular third-party security assessments
  • Ongoing internal security testing
  • Security-focused code reviews
  • Automated security scanning in our CI/CD pipeline
  • Bug bounty program for responsible disclosure

ZeroTrustKerberosLink will continue to prioritize security in all aspects of our product development and operations, ensuring that our customers can rely on our solution for secure Kerberos to AWS integration.