Preparing for peak traffic requires more than just server scaling. See how our penetration test uncovered a critical SQL Injection vulnerability just weeks before Black Friday, saving the client from potential downtime and data theft.
1. The Client
A leading multi-national e-commerce retailer migrating their infrastructure to the cloud (AWS). The platform serves millions of customers and processes thousands of orders per hour during peak seasons like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
2. The Challenge
With the holiday season approaching, the client needed to ensure their new cloud environment was secure. The primary concern was Ransomware and downtime. They required a Black Box Penetration Test to simulate a real-world external attack, with zero prior knowledge given to our team. Additionally, they needed to verify PCI DSS compliance for payment processing.
3. The Solution: Simulated External Attack
Pentestica deployed a Red Team to conduct a realistic assault on the production environment.
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Scope: The main web store, mobile API, and cloud infrastructure (AWS).
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Methodology: Full Black Box. Our pentesters acted exactly like cybercriminals, starting from pure reconnaissance (OSINT).
4. Critical Findings
Our team managed to breach the perimeter within 4 days.
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Critical: Legacy SQL Injection (SQLi) We found an old, forgotten marketing landing page connected to the main database. Through this entry point, our pentesters could extract the entire customer database (emails and hashed passwords).
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High: Cloud Misconfiguration (S3 Buckets) An AWS S3 bucket containing backup logs was left publicly accessible. It contained internal API keys, which allowed lateral movement within the cloud infrastructure.
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Medium: Logic Flaw in Discount Coupons We discovered a way to stack non-stackable coupons, effectively allowing users to purchase products for €0.01.
5. The Result
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Disaster Averted: The SQLi and Cloud misconfigurations were patched immediately.
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Cost Savings: The coupon logic flaw was fixed, preventing massive revenue loss during the sales season.
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PCI DSS Success: The re-test confirmed the platform met all security requirements for handling credit card data. The client survived Black Friday with 100% uptime and zero security incidents.
The Pentestica Editorial Team consists of certified cybersecurity experts (OSCP, OSCE, CISSP) and veteran pentesters. We share practical insights on penetration testing, offensive security strategies, and regulatory compliance (NIS2, DORA, MiCA). Our mission is to empower businesses with the knowledge needed to defend against modern cyber threats.