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"Before attacking, first know the target." This phrase is almost always a key principle in the world of web security. The most important starting points in web security testing are: information gathering, service enumeration, and vulnerability identification.

Why is Information Gathering Important?

In web security, information gathering is the process of gathering information about a target website without directly exploiting it.At this stage, we can find out:

  • What technology does the website use?
  • What server and CMS are used?
  • Are there any sensitive endpoints?
  • Potential security vulnerabilities?

The more complete the information, the more focused the security testing process will be.

A. Information Gathering & Service Enumeration

1. Information Gathering

Some basic information that is usually collected:

  • Domain & IP Address
  • Web server (Apache, Nginx, etc.)
  • Language & framework
  • CMS (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal)
  • Directory structure

Command Example

WhatWeb

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Used for fingerprinting technology.

Nmap (Service Enumeration)

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Used to find out active ports & services.

2. Service Enumeration on Web & CMS

Once you understand the technology, the next step is service enumeration. The focus is:

  • Hidden directories
  • Admin pages
  • CMS plugins & modules
  • Sensitive endpoints

Command Example

Gobuster (Directory Enumeration)

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Used to find:/admin /login/backup Other hidden directories

Nikto (Web Server Scanner)

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Check for:Misconfigurations, Sensitive files, Common web server vulnerabilities

B. Web Application & CMS Vulnerability Identification

Vulnerability identification stage. Here, the focus is on finding security holes, not directly exploiting them. Common vulnerabilities:

  • SQL Injection
  • XSS
  • Broken Authentication
  • Vulnerable CMS plugins
  • Security misconfiguration

Vulnerability Scanner Tools + Commands OWASP ZAP

An open-source tool for scanning web vulnerabilities. Basic mode:

zap.sh -quickurl http://example.com

for:

  • Early XSS detection
  • SQL Injection
  • Misconfiguration

WPScan (WordPress)

Specifically for WordPress CMS.

wpscan - url http://example.com - enumerate p,t,u

Used for:

  • Plugin enumeration
  • Theme enumeration
  • Check WordPress users
  • Detect vulnerable plugins

CMSmap

Multi-CMS enumeration & vulnerability scanner.

cmsmap http://example.com

Supports:

  • WordPress
  • Joomla
  • Drupal

Don't Scan Randomly!

While tools are helpful, scan results aren't always 100% valid. There are many possibilities: False positives,Patched vulnerabilities, Special server configurations Therefore, tool results should be analyzed, not taken at face value.

Conclusion

Information gathering and service enumeration are the main foundations of web security. Without these steps, vulnerability scanning will be unfocused. By understanding:

  • Web technology
  • CMS structure
  • Running services
  • The right tools

A security analyst or pentester can conduct security testing more effectively and systematically.

Sources:

https://levelup.gitconnected.com/information-gathering-first-step-towards-website-hacking-462dcad56c5a https://hack.technoherder.com/website-enumeration/ https://0xsanz.medium.com/web-enumeration-methodology-8b44e52730d6 https://www.thehacker.recipes/web/recon/cms