Black-Box Penetration Testing Assessment and Security Analysis of a Simulated Banking Environment

This report documents a black-box penetration testing assessment conducted against two Linux-based servers within a simulated banking environment. The assessment followed a structured methodology encompassing reconnaissance, enumeration, vulnerability analysis, exploitation, post-exploitation activities, risk assessment, and remediation planning.

Techniques and tools used include Nmap, Nikto, Metasploit, Hashcat, Hydra, SMBClient, SSH, and various Linux networking utilities. Multiple vulnerabilities were identified and assessed using the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), with exploit chains demonstrating full system compromise through remote code execution, privilege escalation, credential reuse, and service misconfiguration.

The report also provides detailed remediation recommendations aligned with recognised security frameworks and industry best practice. It was produced as part of the Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures module within a BSc Computer Science degree programme and achieved a mark of 88%.