Application Pen Testing Black, Grey, and White Box Testing

Application pen testing is an excellent way to detect and correct vulnerabilities in your data systems by evaluating the security of your business’s digital networks.

Black, Grey, and White Box Testing: Which is Right for Your Application?

Black box, white box, and grey box testing are common types of penetration testing that refer to the different levels of knowledge that the tester has.

Black Box Application Pen Testing

Dynamic Testing as an Attacker Best For Simulating a Real, Quick-Strike Cyber-attack

Black box application pen testing is a simulated attack in which the application or software’s functionality is unknown because the client does not approve credentials to access authenticated features. Testers have no internal knowledge of the products. From initial access until execution and exploitation, the pen tester imitates the behaviors of an unprivileged, anonymous attacker. This scenario demonstrates how attackers without knowledge of an application might target and compromise it. This testing can be limited because if an attacker cannot bypass authentication, they will not have access to protect functionality.

Pros:

• Quick and efficient in finding low-hanging fruit that can be publicly exploited
• Least expensive

Cons:

• Because testers are limited in time and knowledge, they will only look for valuable common or known vulnerabilities.
• Not recommended for compliance and regulatory purposes, such as PCI

White Box Application Pen Testing

Static Testing as a Developer Best For Finding Vulnerabilities at the Source-Code Level

White box application testing, also called glass box, clear box, crystal, or oblique box pen testing, helps the tester thoroughly overview the application. White box testing looks at software from a developer’s point of view, with full access to the source code. This gives testers complete insight into potential vulnerabilities. Testers can then evaluate those potential vulnerabilities for exploitability if changing to a dynamic approach to interacting with the target app.

Pros:

• Most exhaustive
• When testers find vulnerabilities, they can be matched up with the pieces of source code associated with them.

Cons:

• Expensive and time-consuming, so best used for high-risk systems or those that process sensitive data
• Testing from the source code gets very abstract. Therefore, the testers may be unable to assign the proper business impact to each finding.

Grey Box Application Pen Testing

Dynamic and Static Testing as a User Best For Simulating an Actual Attack Where the Attacker Can Access a User’s Privileged Account

Grey box application testing combines black box and white box testing techniques. In this test, the client provides some information, whether it’s login credentials, architecture diagrams, and/or source code. Grey box tests attempt to stimulate what a threat actor that is a valid user of the application could achieve, so it combines knowledge with speed. A full grey box approach conjoins the convenience of Dynamic Security Testing (DAST) with the depth of analysis provided by Static Security Testing (SAST) if the client provided the app’s source code. This saves time during dynamic testing and allows testers to delve deeply into reviewing critical business functions.

Pros:

• Better efficiency and coverage than black box testing
• Testers can focus their efforts on critical and high-risk abuse cases.

Cons:

• None. It’s the best of both worlds and the VerSprite recommended approach!

Trust in VerSprite’s Team of Cybersecurity Professionals

Working with cybersecurity professionals is the most efficient and safest way to protect your organization’s systems and invaluable data. Start protecting your business now with a proven method that will significantly reduce cyber attacks. Speak to one of our experts to find out which type of penetration testing is right for your business operations.

Let Us Build a Tailored Engagement for You.

Contact VerSprite today to get started on black box, white box, or grey box application pen testing.