penetration-testing
Pentesting Passkeys: A Practical Methodology for WebAuthn Deployments
Recon, server-side Relying Party tests, and the Windows-focused OS and authenticator attacks: end-to-end, tool by tool.
penetration-testing
Penetration testing writeups, methodology and tooling: web, Active Directory and Linux, from recon to post-exploitation.
privilege-escalation
Windows Privilege Escalation 01: Initial Enumeration
Hands-on walkthrough of Windows PrivEsc fundamentals, with network recon, Defender analysis, AppLocker parsing, and process enumeration. Real command output and the reasoning behind every step.
active-directory
Active Directory Pentesting: Part 02
This post covers the full GoAD setup, SMB host discovery and OSINT-based username generation to kerbrute enumeration and a first successful authentication against a GoAD domain controller. It's the groundwork every Active Directory engagement starts with.
active-directory
Active Directory Pentesting: Part 01
Before we get offensive, we get grounded. This post covers the AD fundamentals every pentester needs locked in: domains, trees, forests, the Domain Controller as crown jewel, Kerberos SSO, multi-master replication, and why even a low-privileged domain account is worth more than it looks.
reverse-engineering
Learning Reverse Engineering: A Step-By-Step Series | Part 01
Dive with me into the fundamentals of reverse engineering. Learn about x86 assembly, CPU registers, the instruction pipeline, essential terms and concepts for your journey into reverse engineering.
htb
Breaking in before the VPN broke down - A Journey through Precious (HTB Writeup)
A full walkthrough of the Hack The Box machine "Precious"; from enumeration to exploitation, including a clever pdfkit command injection and Ruby YAML deserialization for root. With shell stabilisation and some VPN drama on the side.
htb
HTB Reset: From Log Poisoning to Root. Exploiting Tmux, Rexec and Misconfigured Sudo
A deep-dive into escalating from LFI to full root via log poisoning, named pipe reverse shell, misconfigured sudo permissions, and forgotten tmux sessions. Includes analysis of R-services (rexec, rlogin, rsh) and real-world command chaining.
exam-prep
A Small Prep Session: PortSwigger Beginner Labs
A short and focused session working through some beginner-level labs from PortSwigger, revisiting the fundamentals of web vulnerabilities like XSS, SQLi, and authentication bypasses.
exam-prep
Uni Exam Practice VM practice: more of LFI2RCE
In this university exam practice VM, I explored file upload handling, discovered a separate file inclusion point, and chained it with an uploaded webshell to gain remote command execution.
exam-prep
Test Exam: Penetration Testing Playbook 01
My personal playbook for my penetration testing test exam, covering all key steps from access via port forwarding to grabbing ALL 8 flags.
interview-prep
Interview Prep Series: Part Two – Technical Deep Dive & Groundwork
Digging into technical fundamentals and real interview questions to sharpen my baseline as a pentester. Inspired by Steflan Security’s interview cheat sheet & my 2nd Cirosec Interview
interview-prep
Interview Prep Series: Part One – Core Concepts & Confidence
Kicking off my interview prep journey with key phases of pentests, handling tricky questions, and building confidence under pressure.
ad-challenge
The Final Part: Active Directory Journey Day Five: Building, Securing, and Managing a Domain
Day Five covers key AD admin tasks - user and group creation, GPO management, and domain joins; using PowerShell with a security-focused approach.
ad-challenge
Active Directory Journey Day Four: Rights, Privileges, GPOs and a Whole Lot More
This post digs into Group Policy, Active Directory privileges, and built-in groups. I break down who has silent power, how attackers exploit User Rights, and what defenders can do to lock it down. Expect practical cheatsheets, tools, and battle-tested hardening tips.
active-directory
Active Directory Journey Day Three - All about Users & Groups
This post digs into Active Directory user accounts, local vs. domain context, and why SYSTEM access is a bigger deal than you think. You’ll learn where users live, how machines act like users, and how attackers use this to map, move, and mischief.
htb
Popping Devvortex - Joomla Tricks, Template Shells & Summer Brain Fog
An easy HTB box with enough Joomla, virtual hosts, and reverse shell magic to get you sweating (literally). This walkthrough dives into the quirks of Joomla, web fuzzing, API poking, and template-based RCE. Bring water.
ad-challenge
Active Directory Protocols Unpacked: A Practical Learning Journey - Day Two
We're back for day two! The series here are going great hehe. Last time we talked a lot
ad-challenge
Active Directory Demystified: A Practical Learning Journey - Day One
Active Directory powers most enterprise networks, and attackers love it. This guide simplifies AD with real-world analogies and attacker-focused insights to help you learn, enumerate, and exploit it effectively.