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Ethical exploitation
Learn about ethical ways to exploit systems to find and report vulnerabilities and enhance security posture.
wp2shell (weekend to shell edition)
WordPress runs roughly 40% of the internet, so when a routine weekend dig into its REST API turned up a pre-auth path to full database compromise, we didn't get much sleep. In this write-up, we chain a batch-endpoint route confusion bug (CVE-2026-63030) with a SQL injection in WP_Query (CVE-2026-60137) to go from anonymous request to admin account, no cracked hashes required. Read the full article to see how we faked oEmbed cache entries, built a nav_menu_item privilege chain out of seven UNION queries, and landed a webshell without ever logging in.
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DotNetNuke: XSS to RCE (CVE-2026-40321)
DotNetNuke (DNN) might be a leading CMS in the Microsoft ecosystem, but a routine test on an older version accidentally led us straight to a brand-new 0-day. In this write-up, we escalate a simple Stored XSS vulnerability into a full Remote Code Execution (RCE) chain (CVE-2026-40321). Read the full article to see how we smuggled payloads inside SVG files, weaponized DNN's internal messaging to spear-phish admins, and seamlessly dropped an ASPX backdoor right into the server root
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Throwing a spark into FuelCMS
FuelCMS v1.5.2 might be an older, largely unmaintained project, but its codebase is still highly combustible. In our latest research sprint, we uncovered seven new vulnerabilities lurking under the hood. Read the full article to see the raw HTTP requests, learn how we bypassed brute-force rate limits, and watch us turn simple template syntax into a full system compromise.
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cPanel - The valid, the suspect, and the 3rd party (Part 1)
Ever wondered what you can still do with 25-year-old code in a modern hosting environment? PTT-2025-021 was quite the journey! Unpack this (potentially Remote) Code Execution vulnerability we discovered and disclosed, which lets you bypass restricted environments like cPanel's jailshell. In part 1 of 3, we break down how an unsafe Perl "open" function became our ticket to a executing arbitrary system commands - and how the exploit works.
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Behind the scenes – an interview with Adrian Furtuna, our founder and CEO
As cybercrime continues to escalate, businesses are increasingly prioritizing their cybersecurity strategies, often embracing penetration testing to address the most burning threats. Although this established practice is highly effective, there are still many necessary improvements to help scale it to the current needs of the tech ecosystem. CyberNews sat down with Adrian Furtuna, our Founder & CEO, to talk about the ins and outs of penetration testing. Here’s why Adrian believes that no matter how advanced the technology is, some aspects still need a human approach.
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How to detect and exploit the Oracle WebLogic RCE (CVE-2020-14882 & CVE-2020-14883)
Pentesters love a good RCE, but, as much as we enjoy the thrill of detecting and exploiting it (ethically, of course), the tech ecosystem suffers every time one of these pops up. That’s why fast and effective recon and vulnerability assessment remain the go-to pentesting stages that help companies manage their risks so they can keep doing business and serving their customers. With your knowledge, experience, and advice, they can turn a potential hazard into a process that makes them stronger. Let’s take a closer look at the critical RCE vulnerability discovered in Oracle WebLogic Server and see how you can have a bigger positive impact in your organization and beyond it.
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How to detect and exploit CVE-2021-26084, the Confluence Server RCE
Thinking like an attacker is the right mindset that can help you better cope with this staggering growth of RCE vulnerabilities. As a pentester, you know it better than anyone. You’re also the best positioned to use your experience and know-how to detect exposed critical assets before malicious actors do. To help you help others, I’ll explore a critical RCE vulnerability in the Atlassian Confluence server across Linux and Windows in this practical guide packed with detection tactics and mitigation methods.
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How to exploit the VMware vCenter RCE with Pentest-Tools.com (CVE-2021-21985)
More high-risk vulnerabilities mean more work for you. The good news? You won’t be out of work anytime soon. The bad news? You’ll probably work a lot more than you anticipate. So how do you balance the good and the not-so-great? By having a replicable process for when a high-risk CVE that leads to RCE hits your targets (the likes of CVE-2021-21985).
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