From: Jeremy Saintot (jeremy@caramiel.com)
Date: Tue Feb 28 2006 - 05:18:50 EST
Hello,
Sure, programming does not inevitably take part of a pen-test. But don't
you think some coding skills could be useful to perform certain tasks ?
Not just talking about reading/patching/compiling an exploit or something
found on the Internet, but sometimes you can use scripting languages such
as Perl to automate some tests or other things...
I think programming skills are not fully required, but at least recommended
for a pen-tester. How can you understand buffer overflows if you don't know
about C and/or Assembly ? What about applicative web vulns if you don't
have
any PHP/SQL/XSS skill ?
As an answer, I would say that at least one compiled language (C) and one
scripting language (Perl) are recommended and can be useful for a pen-tester
if intelligently used.
Regards,
Jeremy
Craig Wright wrote:
>Hello
>First just to get this in C programming is a good skill. C++ is also not
>bad to have. This said, what the hell is this doing in a pen test
>discussion.
>
>/*
>** start rant
>*/
>
>How can anyone here honestly state that programming skills are needed
>for pen testing? An audit of source code is NOT a pen test. This does
>require coding skills - they are not the same thing and anyone who
>thinks they are is under a delusion.
>
>Are we talking "Vulnerability Research' or Pen. Tests? Do we all
>understand that they are NOT the same thing?
>
>If a business/organisation/etc is paying you for 20 hours of applied
>testing - I certainly hope that you are not going off on some ill
>conceived tangent and effectively taking their money without doing the
>service you have been commissioned for?
>
>Thomas is correct "Time is money - your customers money" - Do not forget
>this!
>
>Welcome to reality. There ARE time constraints. You are not paid to
>research every possible theoretical vulnerability or find a new buffer
>overflow in a Pen Test!
>
>No wonder businesses do not trust information security. No wonder the
>profession is not being taken as seriously as it should be.
>
>/*
>** Rant complete
>*/
>
>
>Regards
>Craig
>
>
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