Foundation of Web Security and Pentesting Basics

Course: Foundation of Web Security and Pentesting Basics

Duration: 1 Month

Time Commitment: 10-12 hours per week

Week 1: Networking and Web Application Basics

Objective: Understand networking concepts and web application fundamentals that are
essential for penetration testing.

Day 1-3: Networking Basics

1. Key Concepts:
o OSI Model and TCP/IP Model
o IP addressing (IPv4 & IPv6)
o HTTP/S Protocols and Web Servers
o DNS (Domain Name System), Ports, and Firewalls
o Common Network Attacks (e.g., DoS, DDoS, MITM)
2. Practical Activity:
o Install Wireshark to analyze network packets.
o Use ping, traceroute, nslookup, and netstat to gather information about
networks.
3. Resources:
o Book: Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks
(Chapters on IP, DNS, TCP/IP)
o Course: Cybrary’s Network Fundamentals (Free)
o YouTube: Search for “OSI Model” and “TCP/IP Explained”

Day 4-7: Web Application Technologies

1. Key Concepts:
o How web applications work (Client-Server Architecture)
o Basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript
o Web Servers (Apache, Nginx), Databases (MySQL, MongoDB)
o Basics of HTTP Requests/Responses (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
o Overview of Web Application Security Risks (OWASP Top 10)
2. Practical Activity:
o Set up a local web server using XAMPP or WAMP (to practice hosting basic
web pages and applications).
 oUse Developer Tools in browsers (e.g., Chrome DevTools) to inspect requests
and responses.
3. Resources:
o Book: HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites by Jon Duckett.
o Course: FreeCodeCamp Web Development Basics (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)
o Website: OWASP Web Application Security

Week 2: Introduction to Ethical Hacking and Legal Considerations

Objective: Learn ethical hacking principles, legal boundaries, and the rules of engagement.

Day 8-10: Ethical Hacking Overview

1. Key Concepts:
o What is Ethical Hacking?
o Difference between White Hat, Black Hat, and Gray Hat hackers
o The Penetration Testing Methodology (Reconnaissance, Scanning,
Exploitation, Post-Exploitation)
o Legal and Ethical Aspects of hacking
o Penetration Testing Certifications overview (CEH, OSCP)
2. Resources:
o Book: Hacking: The Art of Exploitation by Jon Erickson
o Course: Cybrary’s Introduction to Ethical Hacking
o Video: “Ethical Hacking for Beginners” on YouTube

Day 11-14: Information Gathering (Reconnaissance)

1. Key Concepts:
o Active vs Passive Reconnaissance
o OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) tools for gathering publicly available
information.
o Understanding WHOIS, DNS queries, and subdomain discovery.
o Google Dorking for finding sensitive information via search engines.
2. Practical Activity:
o Use WHOIS Lookup and DNS Tools to gather information about websites.
o Try Google Dorking with search operators like “site:example.com” or
“filetype:pdf”.
3. Tools:
o WHOIS (for domain lookup).
o Sublist3r (subdomain enumeration).
o Google Dorking (advanced Google search techniques).
4. Resources:
o Course: OSINT and Reconnaissance on TryHackMe or Hack The Box.
o Video: “Google Dorking Basics” on YouTube.
Week 3: Vulnerability Scanning & Tools

Objective: Learn how to use automated tools for vulnerability scanning and testing.

Day 15-17: Vulnerability Scanning Basics

1. Key Concepts:
o Understanding the difference between Static Analysis and Dynamic
Analysis.
o Web Application Scanners vs Manual Testing.
o Common vulnerabilities: SQL Injection, XSS, CSRF, Command Injection.
2. Tools to Explore:
o OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) for web vulnerability scanning.
o Nikto for scanning web servers.
o Burp Suite (Free version) for web application security testing.
3. Practical Activity:
o Install OWASP ZAP and scan a local website or application.
o Run Nikto scans on a local vulnerable web application or a test machine.
4. Resources:
o Course: Web Application Pentesting with Burp Suite (Udemy or YouTube
tutorials)
o Book: The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook (Chapter 1-5)

Day 18-21: Hands-on Practice with Tools

1. Practical Exercises:
o Use Burp Suite to intercept HTTP requests and manipulate them to see the
impact on the server.
o Practice using OWASP ZAP to scan and detect basic vulnerabilities like XSS,
SQLi.
2. Resources:
o Hack The Box: Try a web application pentesting challenge.
o TryHackMe: Look for introductory rooms like “Web Fundamentals.”

Week 4: Introduction to Web Application Attacks

Objective: Learn common web application vulnerabilities and their exploitation.

Day 22-24: SQL Injection (SQLi)

1. Key Concepts:
o What is SQL Injection?
o Types of SQL Injection: Blind SQLi, Error-based, Union-based.
o How SQLi attacks can lead to unauthorized data access or manipulation.
2. Practical Activity:
 o Learn how to detect and exploit SQL Injection using SQLmap and Burp
Suite.
3. Resources:
o Video: “SQL Injection Basics” on YouTube.
o Book: The Web Application Hacker's Handbook (SQLi chapter).

Day 25-28: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

1. Key Concepts:
o What is XSS?
o Types of XSS: Stored, Reflected, DOM-based.
o How XSS can be used to steal cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, etc.
2. Practical Activity:
o Practice detecting and exploiting XSS vulnerabilities in a vulnerable
application.
o Use Burp Suite to modify HTTP requests and inject malicious scripts.
3. Resources:
o Video: “Cross-Site Scripting Exploit” on YouTube.
o Platform: TryHackMe Room on XSS vulnerabilities.

Final Week: Review & Practice

Objective: Review what you’ve learned, do some practice challenges, and solidify your
understanding.

1. Practical Review:
o Revisit all the tools and concepts learned in the past month.
o Try a CTF challenge (Capture The Flag) that focuses on web vulnerabilities.
o Complete a web app pentest on a practice site or use a vulnerable machine
from VulnHub.
2. Resources:
o TryHackMe: Complete the Web Application Pentesting Basics path.
o Hack The Box: Attempt beginner-level web challenges.

Final Resources and Certification:

 At the end of this month, you should be comfortable with the foundational concepts
and tools in web pentesting. You can start pursuing certifications like CEH (Certified
Ethical Hacker) or continue with more advanced pentesting certifications like
OSCP.