Application & API Security

Real exploit validation. Not automated scan output.

Scanners identify known patterns. We identify real exploit chains — the ones that require understanding how your application actually works, who has access to what, and where business logic can be abused.

The Difference

What commodity pentesting misses.

Most application security engagements run automated tools, apply a manual pass against OWASP Top 10, and produce a templated report. That process finds signature-matched vulnerabilities. It doesn't find:

  • Business logic flaws specific to how your application works
  • Abuse paths that combine multiple low-severity findings into high impact
  • Authorization gaps in complex, role-based access control systems
  • API endpoints that behave differently under authenticated vs. unauthenticated contexts
  • State-dependent vulnerabilities that only appear in specific workflows

Those are the findings that matter. Those are what SCS looks for.

Who This Is For

Teams in situations standard testing wasn't designed for.

  • SaaS teams ahead of a release cycle who need coverage beyond OWASP Top 10
  • API-first platforms with complex role-based access that requires testing beyond endpoint scanning
  • Engineering teams that shipped fast and haven't had a real review of their business logic
  • Security leaders who've received scan reports before and suspect something important was missed
  • Federal contractors requiring application security validation for ATO, FedRAMP, or CMMC

Assessment Scope

What we test and how.

Authentication & Session Management

Login flow security, session token entropy and handling, credential stuffing resistance, MFA bypass scenarios, account takeover paths, password reset flow vulnerabilities, and OAuth/OIDC/SAML implementation review.

Authorization & Access Control

Horizontal and vertical privilege escalation, IDOR and BOLA testing, role-based and attribute-based access control validation, multi-tenancy isolation, and admin interface security review.

Business Logic & Abuse Cases

Workflow manipulation, price/quantity tampering, race conditions in transactional systems, referral and discount abuse, state machine bypass, and any application-specific logic that a motivated attacker would target.

API Security

REST and GraphQL endpoint enumeration and testing, object-level authorization (BOLA/BFLA), mass assignment, excessive data exposure, rate limiting, and API key management review.

Input Handling & Injection

SQL injection, NoSQL injection, XSS (reflected, stored, DOM), command injection, SSRF, XXE, template injection, and deserialization vulnerabilities — with exploit chain validation to confirm real impact.

Cloud & Third-Party Integrations

Security review of cloud service integrations, webhook handling, third-party API trust, secrets management in infrastructure, and serverless function attack surface where applicable.

Mobile Applications

iOS and Android application testing — in-scope where mobile clients consume the same APIs or handle sensitive data. Covers certificate pinning, local storage, deep links, and client-side control bypass.

Network & Infrastructure

Internal and external network penetration testing, service enumeration, lateral movement paths, and credential exposure review — available as a component or standalone engagement.

Methodology

How we work.

Threat Modeling & Surface Mapping

We define target systems, user roles, authentication context, and out-of-scope boundaries before testing begins — then map the full surface area: endpoints, data flows, auth paths, and integration points. This informs what we actually test, not just what a scanner would enumerate.

Testing, Validation & Delivery

Human-led testing of high-risk functionality with manual validation of every critical finding. Tools accelerate coverage; operators confirm exploitability and construct attack chains. Findings delivered with reproduction steps, business impact, and developer-oriented remediation. Workshop and retest available.

Deliverables

What you receive.

  • Technical Findings Report — Risk-rated vulnerabilities with CVSS scores, exploitation proof-of-concept, and business impact description
  • Business Logic Documentation — Specific abuse cases identified for your application's functionality
  • Attack Narrative — How a realistic attacker would chain findings to achieve meaningful access
  • Developer-Context Remediation — Specific fixes with implementation guidance engineers can act on
  • Findings Workshop — Live walkthrough with your engineering and security team
  • Retest Validation — Confirm fixes prior to re-deployment (optional)
  • Executive Summary — Concise risk narrative for leadership and compliance purposes

Timelines

Scope determines duration.

Typical application security assessments run 5–10 business days for single-application scopes. API-heavy or multi-application engagements are scoped individually.

We work within your development and release cycles. Pre-release assessments can be scheduled against feature branches or staging environments.

Assessments for compliance purposes (SOC 2, FedRAMP, CMMC) include the additional documentation format required by your program.