Desktop Application Penetration Testing

We test applications across all major platforms including Windows (.exe, .msi), macOS (.app, .dmg), and Linux (various formats). This includes native applications, Electron-based apps, Java applications, .NET applications, and cross-platform frameworks.

Whether your application is distributed commercially, used internally, or delivered as enterprise software, we can assess its security.

No, source code is not required. We can perform black box testing with just the compiled application. However, white box testing (with source code access) provides more thorough coverage and can identify vulnerabilities earlier in the development lifecycle. We recommend white box testing when possible, especially for applications handling sensitive data.

Depending upon the agreed scope for testing, we can perform reverse engineering of the application to approach vulnerability discovery like an attacker would. In certain cases, such as with Windows .NET applications, we can attempt to reverse engineer local installations or portable executables to retrieve the source code.

We conduct testing in isolated environments using test accounts and sample data. We never test against production systems or real user data unless explicitly coordinated. Our testing focuses on identifying vulnerabilities without causing damage, and we maintain detailed logs of all testing activities.

Desktop application testing focuses on different attack vectors including: memory corruption vulnerabilities (buffer overflows), local privilege escalation, insecure local data storage, DLL hijacking, code injection, reverse engineering protection, and update mechanism security.

Unlike web applications that run in browsers with security sandboxes, desktop apps often have deeper system access and different trust boundaries.

Yes. For applications requiring specialised hardware, we can test on-site or you can provide remote access to a testing environment. For licensed software, you’ll need to provide valid licenses for our testing environment. We can also work with time-limited trial versions if full licenses aren’t available.

We test both standard user and administrative privilege scenarios. We specifically look for privilege escalation vulnerabilities where a standard user could gain administrative access. If your application requires admin privileges to run, we’ll assess whether this is truly necessary and test for vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to abuse those elevated privileges.

Basic reverse engineering is a standard part of desktop application testing to understand how the application works, identify hardcoded secrets, and find vulnerabilities. However, we respect intellectual property and only perform the level of analysis necessary for security testing. All findings remain confidential and we sign NDAs if required.

Yes, update mechanism security is a critical component of desktop application testing. We verify that updates are delivered over encrypted channels, properly signed, and cannot be intercepted or tampered with by attackers. Insecure update mechanisms are a common way attackers distribute malware to users.

We test the entire attack surface including client-side vulnerabilities and the security of communications with backend services. This includes API authentication, encrypted communications, certificate validation, and whether sensitive data is exposed through client-server communications. For comprehensive coverage, we may recommend combined desktop and API testing.