Pentest Notes Templates

Structured checklists and methodology guides for penetration testing and security code review.

About

These templates are reference guides built from real engagement methodology. They give testers (especially junior testers) something to follow when working through an assessment. Each template walks through the process step by step with commands, checklists, and context about what you're looking for and why.

They are not comprehensive vulnerability databases or exhaustive references for every possible attack. They cover the things we routinely check during engagements and provide a consistent structure so nothing obvious gets missed.

Expectations

These templates are meant to be a starting point and a safety net, not the ceiling of your testing.

• They do not replace understanding the underlying concepts
• They are not "run every command and you're done" automation scripts
• They do not attempt to cover every edge case or every framework
• They are not a substitute for thinking about the specific application in front of you

Templates

Pre-Engagement (shared across all assessment types)

Template	Covers
Pentest-Pre-Engagement-Template.md	Scoping, access, rules of engagement, kickoff, reporting, closeout

Assessment Templates

Template	Covers
Pentest-WebApp-API-Template.md	Web applications and APIs (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket)
Pentest-Cloud-AWS-Template.md	AWS account and service security
Pentest-Cloud-GCP-Template.md	GCP project and service security
Pentest-Cloud-Azure-Template.md	Azure subscription and service security
Pentest-iOS-Template.md	iOS mobile application security
Pentest-Android-Template.md	Android mobile application security
Pentest-ThickClient-Template.md	Desktop applications (Windows, macOS, Linux, Electron)
Pentest-Hardware-IoT-Template.md	Embedded devices, IoT, firmware, hardware

Manual Code Review Templates

Located in code-review/. Each is self-contained with the same structure adapted to the specific language, its frameworks, and the vulnerability classes that apply to it.

Template	Covers
Code-Review-Python.md	Flask, Django, FastAPI, serverless, ML pipelines, MicroPython
Code-Review-JavaScript-TypeScript.md	Express, Next.js, Electron, React Native, serverless
Code-Review-Java-Kotlin.md	Spring, Android, Jakarta EE, serverless
Code-Review-CSharp.md	ASP.NET Core, Blazor, WPF, MAUI/Xamarin, Azure Functions, Unity
Code-Review-Go.md	net/http, gin, echo, fiber, gRPC, Kubernetes tooling
Code-Review-C-CPP.md	Embedded firmware, RTOS, desktop, kernel modules, network protocols
Code-Review-PHP.md	Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, Drupal
Code-Review-Ruby.md	Rails, Sinatra, Hanami
Code-Review-Rust.md	Actix-web, Axum, embedded, WASM
Code-Review-Swift.md	iOS (UIKit/SwiftUI), macOS, Vapor
Code-Review-Scala.md	Play, Akka HTTP, Apache Spark, ZIO

How to Use

1. Start with Pentest-Pre-Engagement-Template.md for every engagement
2. Pick the assessment template(s) that match your scope
3. For code review, pick the language template(s) that match the codebase
4. Work through each section in order (the templates are ordered by methodology flow)
5. Mark checkboxes as you go, record findings inline, and capture evidence

Template Structure

Every template follows the same general pattern:

Section	Purpose
What to do	Commands, grep patterns, manual checks
What to look for	Context about the vulnerability or misconfiguration
How to confirm	Verify it is actually a finding, not just the presence of a function
Checklist	Items to mark off as you complete each area

The code review templates include grep patterns for every major sink category specific to that language, with "when to suspect" context and "safe alternative" guidance for each.