Virtual desktops and published applications, whether Citrix, Microsoft Remote Desktop Services, Azure Virtual Desktop or similar, give users a controlled window onto corporate systems. If that window can be prised open, an ordinary user gains the access of the server behind it. We test both the hosted application and the restrictions around it.
Virtual Desktop Breakout Methodology Summary
Application Mapping
We will review the full attack surface before continuing onto the security assessment, ensuring that we achieve both depth and scope coverage. This can include reviewing the assessment scope to ensure that no assets have been unintentionally missed from the assessment scope.
Virtual Desktop Hardening Assessment
We review the hardening of the virtual desktop to ensure that a user with valid access to the hosted application cannot access additional resources outside of their intended environment and assess any in-place restrictions for potential bypasses (often known as “breakouts”).
Application Vulnerability Discovery
We review the application for the presence of a range of vulnerabilities, such as insecure storage of credentials, insecure cryptographic options, hardcoded credentials, and privilege escalation vulnerabilities within the application.
Analysis and Exploitation
Where a vulnerability is discovered our testing report will include a full breakdown of the potential for exploitation thereby removing false positives, removing the guess work from grading vulnerability risks, and giving the steps to replicate the vulnerability to ensure that your technical teams fully understand each issue.
Remediation
We don’t just focus on vulnerability discovery, but we also give significant detail on remediating discovered vulnerabilities and importantly, hardening systems against exploitation.