Introduction:
When a financial tech client came to TrustStack Security, they had already completed a pentest with another vendor. Their platform passed—“No critical vulnerabilities found.” But something didn’t sit right. They wanted a second opinion.
Our Approach:
We began with reconnaissance and discovered a forgotten admin panel using a predictable URL. This panel had no MFA and weak credentials. Within hours, we had:
- Access to user records
- Ability to manipulate financial transactions
- Database access via exposed backend APIs
What Went Wrong?
- Their previous tester relied too heavily on automated tools.
- No manual review of authentication flows or endpoint logic was done.
- Lack of layered security (no rate limiting, IP filtering, or credential policies).
Our Findings:
We reported:
- Broken access control
- Sensitive data exposure
- Missing audit logging
- Full read/write database access via API
Client Response:
The client was shocked. The same platform previously deemed “secure” had exploitable flaws at the core. They immediately patched the findings, overhauled access control, and extended their engagement with us for annual reviews.
Conclusion:
Pentesting isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about thinking like an attacker. TrustStack doesn’t settle for surface-level scans. Our depth, methodology, and mindset make the difference. The result? We find what others miss.
