Attack path
A sequence of flaws or conditions that can let an attacker move from a starting point to a relevant asset.
Offensive security glossary
Technical terms for the people who have to decide.
Direct definitions, each with the reason the concept matters when buying a penetration test or reading its report.
How to use this
A term on its own does not define risk. Use the definitions to interpret the report, then apply the context of your own environment before prioritizing any action.
Quick reference
The vocabulary that appears in the scope and the delivery.
Written to bring technology, leadership and governance closer together.
Black box
A test type that starts with little or no internal information about the environment.
CVSS
A scoring model used to communicate the technical characteristics and severity of vulnerabilities.
CVE
A public identifier assigned to a known vulnerability in a product or component.
Evidence
A record demonstrating how an exposure was observed or validated.
Grey box
A test type where the team receives limited information or credentials to assess internal areas of the flow.
MITRE ATT&CK
A knowledge base that organizes attacker behavior into tactics and techniques.
Penetration test
An authorized assessment that sets out to identify and validate security risk within a defined scope.
Purple Team
A collaborative exercise between offensive and defensive capabilities.
Retest
A new validation run after the team reports that a fix has been applied.
Attack surface
The set of assets, services, applications and interfaces that can be reached or exploited.
Vulnerability
A technical or logical weakness that can create impact when exploited in a given context.
Practical application
Want to understand these concepts in your own environment?
The scope assessment connects assets, risks and deliverables to the reality of your company.