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VAPT Services: Cost-Effective Penetration Testing in UAE

What is Penetration Testing or VAPT?

Penetration testing—often referred to as VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) or ethical hacking—is a controlled simulation of a cyberattack against an organisation’s infrastructure, network, systems, or applications. It replicates the techniques used by real-world attackers to identify and exploit security weaknesses, without the risks of an actual cyberattack. VAPT is also an important component of security risk assessments and helps organisations demonstrate compliance with standards and regulatory frameworks such as ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, ADSIC, NESA, UAE Information Assurance, ADHICS, KHDA, DIFC, Central Bank compliance, etc.

The primary objective of penetration testing is to identify exploitable vulnerabilities, security misconfigurations, and ineffective controls. It evaluates whether an attacker—with varying levels of knowledge, access, and privileges—could exploit these weaknesses to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of critical systems and data. Testing is typically conducted using recognised cybersecurity frameworks and methodologies, including SANS, NIST, OWASP Top 10, OWASP ASVS, the OWASP Web Security Testing Guide, and the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES).

Web Application Penetration Testing

Web Application Penetration Testing evaluates web applications for security weaknesses that attackers could exploit to gain unauthorised access, expose sensitive information, manipulate data, or disrupt services. Our penetration testers combine automated tools with in-depth manual testing to identify common and application-specific vulnerabilities, including flaws in authentication, authorisation, session management, input validation, business logic, and security configuration.


Testing is conducted using recognised methodologies and frameworks such as the OWASP Top 10, OSSTMM, and the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES). Web application penetration testing can be performed with credentials (authenticated testing) or without credentials (unauthenticated testing), depending on the required scope and objectives.

Website penetration testing

Helps you identify and fix security flaws on your website. Website Pen Test also evaluates misconfigured integrations implemented within a website.

Desktop Application Penetration Testing

Helps you to identify security issues within the desktop application. Tests include injections, authentication bypass, session management, file uploads, & review of data communications.

Web Services / API VAPT

An API pen test imitates an attacker specifically targeting a custom set of API endpoints and attempting to undermine the security. Our team will follow an assessment according to our API penetration testing methodology. Our pentester will use a comprehensive testing methodology which will identify security vulnerabilities from the OWASP Top 10 as well as security vulnerabilities that are specific to the API itself.

Penetration testing of AI systems

Penetration testing of AI systems provides security assessment to simulates real-world attacks against AI applications—such as chatbots, copilots, large language models (LLMs), and autonomous AI agents. The purpose is to determine whether attackers can manipulate the AI, access confidential information, bypass security controls, or make connected systems perform unauthorized actions.

We check for the following among others during the Web Application VAPT exercise:

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Network VAPT

During Network Penetration Testing, our security experts simulate real-world cyberattacks against the client’s network and systems. Using industry-leading penetration-testing tools, proprietary scripts, and advanced manual techniques, we identify and safely exploit security weaknesses in a controlled manner while minimising the risk of disruption to business operations. The engagement begins by defining the scope, including the IP addresses, hostnames, servers, network devices, and other assets to be assessed. Our penetration testers then evaluate the client’s external and internal network environments to identify vulnerabilities, security misconfigurations, weak access controls, exposed services, and other potential attack paths.

 

Where authorised, identified vulnerabilities are carefully exploited to validate their impact and determine the level of access an attacker could gain. During the simulation, access obtained through a compromised system may also be used to assess the risk of privilege escalation, lateral movement, and pivoting to other systems within the internal network. Upon completion, the client receives a comprehensive report detailing the vulnerabilities identified, supporting evidence, business impact, risk ratings, and prioritised remediation recommendations. These insights help strengthen the client’s infrastructure, security configurations, controls, and operational processes.

The following components are analyzed during Network VAPT  testing exercise :

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Mobile Application Penetration Testing

Mobile Applications VAPT can be done for Android or iOS applications. Our approach to mobile app pentest will make use of dynamic and static analysis to test all accessible features within the mobile application. Our testing approach will use a virtual machine (Android) and physical phones that are jailbroken or rooted (iOS and Android). This helps us cover all features using automated analysis as well as manual testing within the scope. The testing will be based on the OWASP – Mobile Security Testing Guide (MSTG). The vulnerability report will be based on the OWASP Mobile Top 10.

Testing coverage for data security at rest

Investigate using a malicious application, if the data can be accessed or recovered across applications and the cross-application boundary is secure, and identify if the application exposes any Personally Identifiable Information (PII), API keys, passwords, or any other application contextual sensitive data, verify that any sensitive content stored locally is encrypted, Applications are resilient to reverse engineering and tampering attacks.

Testing coverage for data security in transit

Test that multi-factor authentication cannot be bypassed, or brute-forced, usage of strong encryption, inter-application redirects are secure and cannot be tampered with, session hijacking, client-side security, hidden URL schemes exposing access to development environments, application hooking and run time manipulation, bypass any application restrictions, such as features that are shipped but disabled, review code for hardcoded secrets.

Client-Side – Static and Dynamic Analysis

Tests include reverse engineering the application code, hard-coded credentials on source code, insecure version of Android OS installation, cryptographic-based storage strength, poor key management process, use of custom encryption protocols, unrestricted backup file, unencrypted database files, insecure shared storage, insecure application data storage, information disclosure through Logcat/Apple System Log (ASL), URL Caching on cache.db, keyboard press caching, copy/paste buffer caching, remember credentials functionality, client-side based authentication flaws, client-side authorization breaches, insufficient WebView hardening (XSS), content providers: SQL Injection and local file inclusion, injection, local file inclusion through NSFileManager or Webviews, abusing android components through IPC intents, abusing URL schemes, unauthorized code modification, debug the application behavior through runtime analysis.

Server-Side – Web Services/API Calls

Bypass SSL pining, Excessive port opened at the firewall, default credentials on the application server, service catalog, exposure of web services through WSDL document, security misconfiguration on Webserver, input validation on API, information exposure through API response message, bypassing business logic flaws, session invalidation on the backend, session timeout protection, cookie rotation, token creation.

Types of Penetration Testing (VAPT)

Our Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing evaluate the target security control’s ability to block or prevent attacks. VAPT services can be conducted in 3 ways to simulate different attack scenarios under internal & external penetration testing services.

Grey Box

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Black Box

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White Box

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Continuous Pen Testing is recommended for Web and Mobile applications to identify security gaps before a hacker does. PenTesting services at regular intervals help you to maintain and improve your application’s security posture. Configuration Review evaluates the configuration of critical devices of your IT network including Servers, Firewalls, and other networking devices to analyze the security effectiveness of the IT environment. It ensures that your network meets current security standards and policies.

Active Directory Pen Testing

Cloud Pen Testing

Configuration Review

Firewall Penetration Testing

OT and IoT Pen Testing

Red Team Assessment

Social Engineering

Wireless VAPT

Request a Quote for VAPT Services (Pentest cost)

Products interested in (please select)

Pen Testing Tools

We use multiple tools for VAPT services, which include commercial, open-source tools and custom scripts. VA and PT rely extensively on manual testing and verification of each potential vulnerability identified by various tools. We use the Security Vulnerability Scanners & Metasploit framework to scan for common security issues and misconfigurations. Pentest Tools will be configured with the latest updates from the professional feed. The scanner may run throughout the testing period whilst the auditor is manually testing for other vulnerabilities.

  • Nessus, Core Impact, Qualys, Burp Suite
  • Metasploit, ZAP, Sqlmap, Nmap
  • Acunetix, Net Sparker, DIRB, Nikto
  • Nipper, Wireshark /Tcpdump, Fiddler
  • Brutus, SSLDigger, Hydra, MobSF, QARK
  • Scout Suite, Prowler, AWS Security Benchmarks
  • Commix, Mutiny, Boofuzz, Kitty
  • Firmware Analysis Toolkit, Fwanalyzer, ByteSweep
  • Firmwalker, Binwalk, QEMU, Firmadyne
  • Flashrom, Minicom, Prelink, lddtree

We use many more tools, and scripts that are apt for the target and scope for VAPT testing in Dubai UAE, and the Middle East. Our Cybersecurity experts comprise a pool of highly qualified and skilled professionals with experience in handling complex and demanding requirements from a diverse set of clients in the UAE. We have carried out more than 600+ pen tests in Dubai UAE and our Pen Testers have vast experience in various industry verticals such as Banking, Insurance, Money Exchange, Oil & Gas, Government, Retail, Hotels, Manufacturing, Telecom, Healthcare, Construction, E-commerce, Education, etc. with certifications in specialized areas such as CISSP, OSCP, OSWE, CSX-P, CISA, CEH, etc.

Benefits of Penetration Testing

Penetration testing plays a significant role in an organization’s security strategy. It helps organizations proactively identify vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. It helps companies to protect their assets and data. VAPT helps to identify and fix the security gaps in an organization arising due to outdated software or configuration flaws. It also helps to improve the overall security posture of the organization. Penetration testing helps organizations meet compliance requirements as many regulatory frameworks require regular penetration testing to ensure that sensitive information is adequately protected.

Source Code Review can also be done as part of the VAPT testing exercise to verify the security of the source code of your application.

You can download the VAPT case study here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Typically, professional assessments range from AED 15,000 to AED 150,000 based on scope.

A standard engagement takes 5 to 14 business days, including testing, reporting, and integration with SOC services for ongoing monitoring.

Yes, one retest is included as part of every Penetration Testing activity.

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Web Application VA/PT

  • Injections – SQL Injection, LDAP Injection, Xpath Injection, OS Commands, program arguments.
  • Session Management – Session timeouts, predictable session generation, authentication strength, session stealing session ID, password hashing, improper session transmission, session fixation, and session prediction.
  • Cross-Site Scripting – Stored, reflected, DOM Based XSS.
  • Direct Object References
  • Security Misconfiguration – Unnecessary ports, services pages, and accounts, default account passwords, administrative pages, patching levels for operating systems, web servers, supporting databases, modules, and applications.
  • Sensitive Data Exposure – Hashed passwords, encrypted ciphers, cryptographic keys management.
  • Function Level Access Control
  • Cross-Site Request Forgery – Examining the construct and format of URLs, examining how a session state is maintained.
  • Components with Known Vulnerabilities
  • Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards – Remote and local file inclusion, directory traversal, the insecure configuration of backend databases, Inappropriate information in source code
  • Service Discovery – Management protocols such as SSH or Telnet, email services, domain services, file management protocols such as FTP or Samba, other services present on the system.
  • Server Vulnerability Assessment
  • Common Misconfigurations
  • Backdoors and Rogue Services

Components

  • Network structure (wired, wireless, VPN, MPLS)
  • Network Access Control
  • Man-in-the-middle attacks
  • Password Strength
  • Authentication
  • Default or weak passwords
  • Brute-force attacks
  • Configuration errors
  • Vulnerability analysis of Operating Systems, Servers and Applications
  • Analysis of virtual structures, access and authorization system for virtual environments
  • Wardialing & Wardriving
  • Verification of the Gateway components (firewall, packet filtering, IPS, etc)
  • Penetration tests on the identified weaknesses

Grey Box

It is something in between the black box and white box, with limited information regarding the target like IP, Hostname, service details, and channels.

Black Box

No information regarding the target other than the host URL/IP is collected during this Pen Testing. This pentest is mostly done for periodic regulatory or standard audit requirements for systems that have not changed since the last audit or for industry-standard systems like Firewalls, Operating Systems, and well-known applications.

White Box

Full information regarding the target application including user credentials for various roles is collected during this ethical hacking exercise. This method is recommended for thorough security testing of the security robustness of the deployed system. It is recommended for newly developed systems, systems after an update or upgrade, web applications, e-commerce applications, systems handling critical information, etc.

Active Directory penetration testing requires a comprehensive and engaging methodology to identify vulnerabilities, assess risks, and strengthen the security of Active Directory.

  • Threat Modeling: Threat modeling helps identify potential risks and attack vectors specific to the AD environment. This is done by analyzing the AD architecture, trust relationships, user accounts, and access controls.
  • Vulnerability Assessment: Conducting a vulnerability assessment helps uncover known security weaknesses in the AD environment. We use automated tools to scan for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and outdated software versions.
  • Exploitation and Privilege Escalation: We will exploit identified vulnerabilities and escalate privileges within the AD environment for simulated attacks. We use password-cracking techniques to test the strength of user passwords.
  • Lateral Movement: We expand access within the AD environment through lateral movement techniques. We employ methods like pass-the-hash, pass-the-ticket, and trust relationship exploitation to move laterally between compromised systems.

Cloud PenTesting assesses the weaknesses and strengths of your public and private instances with cloud computing platforms like AWS, Azure, GCP & more. It assesses Azure Active Directory, Amazon Web Services workloads, serverless functions, or Kubernetes to ensure that your cloud networks are safe and secure. Cloud penetration testing examines the security of cloud applications, configurations, passwords, encryption, APIs, databases, and storage access. The total number of cloud accounts and instances determines the cost of AWS Penetration Testing & Azure Penetration Testing.

We assess the security configurations against industry best practices such as SANS CIS benchmarking, NIST, and PTES. The following list is a summary of the primary security controls assessed for Cloud PenTest.

  • Authorization and Access controls
  • Encryption
  • Logging and Alerting
  • Network Security

Configuration review is done for critical infrastructure devices like Firewalls, Switches, and servers to analyze the current configuration, looking for security gaps or vulnerabilities from both a best practice perspective as well as a realistic risk perspective. The configuration review is performed using either offline configuration review which includes the offline configuration script review to identify security flaws in the network device configuration files or using credential review where an authenticated agent will try to identify the configuration flaws in the network devices.

Firewall VA PT evaluates the security of the Firewall using the security audit to identify vulnerabilities in the Firewall. The results of the firewall pen testing will help the organization enhance the security of its Network Firewall. Firewall pen-testing involves port scanning, banner grabbing, ACL enumeration, Firewall architecture and policy review, port redirection, internal and external testing, HTTP tunneling, firmware review, etc.

OT system is fundamentally different from an IT system. It requires specific controls that would not impede its availability, integrity, and confidentiality. Standards such as ISO27001/22, NERC- CIP, NIST, and IEC62443 can be used collectively when evaluating the security posture of an OT system. OT Pen Testing is done on PLCs and Embedded Controllers, HMIs and SCADA systems, Networking equipment, Switches, Routers, and Security appliances.

Performing the vulnerability assessment on OT systems involves:

  • High-level review of existing IT and OT Security policies will be performed against IEC62443-2-1 and ISO 27001.
  • Identifying all attack surfaces
  • Identifying all attack vectors
  • Review and assessment of the risk level of each attack surface and vector.
  • Identifying improvement areas

IoT Pen Testing looks for security vulnerabilities in Internet of Things devices and networks like cameras, thermostats, smart locks, industrial control systems, medical devices, etc. IoT Pen Testing helps to identify and assess the potential risks and threats posed to the data, device & network. This includes vulnerability testing for unsecured passwords, encryption, and other weaknesses that malicious actors could exploit. IoT VAPT methodology consists of nine stages tailored to conduct firmware/IoT security assessments.

Red Team Assessment simulates real-world cyber-attacks on your organization to evaluate the effectiveness of your defenses with people, processes, and technology. This is an objective-driven threat simulation exercise to discover highly critical entry and pivot points. The objective of the assessment is to evaluate the detection and response capabilities of the organization. In the read team assessment, we will try to get into the network to access sensitive information in all possible ways to avoid any detection mechanisms already in place.

Red Team Engagement is an effective demonstration of tangible risk posed by an APT (Advanced Persistent Threat). The assessors are instructed to compromise predetermined assets, or “flags,” using means that a malicious actor might utilize in a legitimate attack. These comprehensive, complex security assessments are best suited for companies looking to improve a maturing security organization. It involves the following steps.

  • Scoping: Penetration testing starts with assets to include in the scope. However, red team engagements aim to compromise critical business assets and the scoping process defines areas to exclude from the assessment.
  • Information Gathering and Reconnaissance: The initial work done in any black-box assessment is the information gathering. It combines a variety of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) resources for gathering data on the target organization and is critical to the operation. Aggregating public and private methods for intelligence gathering allows our Security Labs to develop an early structure for a plan or attack.
  • Mapping and Planning of Attack: After completing all initial information gathering, the process transitions to mapping our strategy and attack methodology. The approach varies widely, dependent on our intel from the previous stage and the developed footprint.
  • Executing Attack and Penetration: The variety of information gathered in the beginning phases lays the foundation for a host of attack options across all relevant vectors.

Phishing is the most prevalent and successful tactic used in advanced targeted attacks.  Ninety-one percent of targeted attacks use spear phishing attacks. In recent years, most data breaches have begun with spear phishing. We use a similar technique to compromise a target host to check the effectiveness of existing security systems. This could be used in real life by attackers to either launch a whaling attack against senior executives or spear phishing for privileged users which can lead to an APT attack.

We conduct social engineering tests against employees to identify if they are susceptible to such attacks and if the perimeter security is strong enough to protect against such exploitation attempts.

We execute a phishing assessment with the following steps:

  • Reconnaissance and Information Gathering – Information collection is a critical stage of social engineering and often determines the success of the rest of the phishing assessment. Using a ‘black box’ approach, our security experts perform in-depth research to extract information on the target company.
  • Create Pretext Scenarios and Payloads – Once we have fully enumerated the target, the focus turns to crafting the payload. These specifics include identifying departments, user roles, and associated pretext scenarios. These details ensure each user is researched thoroughly for the most successful, targeted engagements.
  • Engage Targets – Using carefully structured tactics and pretexts, our security analysts engage employees via phishing emails. These emails often prompt users to interact by clicking a link or downloading a malicious file. The emails and subsequent landing pages are crafted to appear authentic, mimicking other sites and services.
  • Assessment Reporting and Debrief – After completing the campaign and aggregating results, a final report is delivered, providing an executive summary and specific details. The report also includes a thorough breakdown of risk, remediation steps, and documentation of successful phishing attempts. Training guides are also offered, guiding the client in resolving the training and policy issues identified.

Wireless (Wi-Fi) networks may be susceptible to a myriad of attacks, depending on the wireless clients, access points, and wireless configurations. Wi-Fi is a hotly pursued target, as a compromise of the wireless network is generally the fastest means to the internal network. Poor configuration and weak protections could leave your internal information exposed to anyone in range with a laptop or smartphone. As such, we test the range of the network in addition to the range of potential vulnerabilities. This includes testing for ‘Wireless Bleeding,’ where we identify the distance at which a potential attacker can pick up your wireless signal.

The purpose of this methodology is to evaluate the security of the Wireless Network and exploit vulnerabilities in the wireless infrastructure. We will attempt to gain unauthorized access to the wireless networks. Depending on how the wireless network is set up, this may include WEP/WPA-PreShared Key cracking, various password attacks, evil twin attacks, disassociation attacks, etc.

Wireless assessment will include the following steps to identify security flaws in the wireless infrastructure:

  • Detect vulnerabilities, misconfigured wireless devices, and rogue access points.
  • Assess the wireless access path to the internal network for security flaws.
  • Get independent security verification – of encryption and authentication policies – for devices interacting with the wireless network.
  • Prevent unauthorized use of the wireless network as a pivot for cyber-attacks, which may be traced back to your organization.
  • Provide management with a proof of exploit, which outlines the assets that an attack can compromise; such as compromising critical data or gaining administrative-level rights over routers and switches.
  • Ensure Compliance with PCI DSS and other security standards.