Performing Web Application Penetration Test

When to Use

• Testing web applications before production deployment to identify exploitable vulnerabilities
• Conducting compliance-driven security assessments (PCI-DSS requirement 6.6, SOC 2 Type II)
• Validating remediation of previously identified web application vulnerabilities during retesting
• Assessing third-party web applications before integration into the organization's environment
• Evaluating custom-developed web applications where automated scanning alone is insufficient

Do not use against web applications without written authorization, against production systems during peak traffic hours without explicit approval, or for denial-of-service testing of web infrastructure.

Prerequisites

• Signed statement of work (SoW) defining the target application URLs, environments (staging/production), and testing boundaries
• Burp Suite Professional license with up-to-date extensions (Active Scan++, Autorize, JSON Beautifier, Logger++)
• Valid test accounts at each privilege level (unauthenticated, standard user, administrator) for authorization testing
• Application documentation including API specifications (OpenAPI/Swagger), sitemap, and technology stack details
• Browser configured with Burp Suite proxy (FoxyProxy recommended) and Burp CA certificate installed