Rapid Security Assessment of a Custom School Management Application
A case study detailing a time-boxed security assessment of a custom school management system, identifying high and critical vulnerabilities through manual testing.
Bytium conducted a rapid security assessment for a custom-built school management application developed by a third-party engineering team.
The objective was clear: identify the highest-risk security issues in the shortest possible time.
The application handled sensitive data, including student records, academic information, and staff management. Given the nature of the data and its intended production use, early identification of critical security risks was essential before broader deployment.
Engagement Objective
The primary goal of this assessment was to quickly surface high to critical security vulnerabilities that could pose an immediate risk to confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the system.
Rather than performing a full-scope penetration test, the engagement focused on speed, coverage of common attack paths, and manual validation of impactful issues.
Testing Approach
After engagement, the development team deployed a fresh instance of the application on a virtual private server. Dummy data was inserted to simulate realistic usage scenarios.
To accelerate coverage, the assessment combined lightweight automation with targeted manual testing. Automated scanning alone proved insufficient, so emphasis was placed on manual analysis and verification.
The tools used during the engagement included:
- GoBuster for targeted directory and file enumeration using a reduced custom wordlist
- Burp Suite Professional for semi-automated testing and manual request manipulation
- Acunetix Pro for baseline automated vulnerability scanning
Key Findings
Automated scans produced limited actionable results. The majority of meaningful findings were identified during approximately three hours of focused manual testing.
The assessment revealed:
- Multiple stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities
- A critical SQL injection vulnerability
The stored XSS issues allowed malicious scripts to execute in the browsers of users who accessed affected pages, including cases where the payloads were not immediately visible. The SQL injection flaw allowed direct interaction with backend database queries.
Security Impact
The identified vulnerabilities posed a significant risk to the application and its users. Stored XSS vulnerabilities could be abused to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, including administrators.
The SQL injection vulnerability exposed the application to potential database compromise, including access to sensitive records and administrative credentials. Together, these issues represented a high likelihood of full application compromise if left unaddressed.
Remediation and Response
Following validation, Bytium provided the development team with a detailed report outlining the findings and practical remediation guidance.
Key remediation recommendations included:
- Proper sanitization and validation of all user-controlled input
- Use of prepared statements or parameterized queries for database interactions
- Incorporation of regular security testing into the development lifecycle
The development team responded promptly and demonstrated a strong willingness to address the identified issues.
Outcome
This rapid assessment successfully identified critical weaknesses early in the application’s lifecycle, allowing the development team to take corrective action before wider deployment.
The engagement highlighted the value of manual security testing when automated tools fail to detect context-specific vulnerabilities, as well as the importance of collaboration between security assessors and development teams.
Positive Observations
In addition to the technical findings, several positive aspects were noted during the engagement:
- The development team was responsive and cooperative
- There was clear interest in improving the application’s security posture
- The team actively supported the assessment process
Conclusion
This case study demonstrates that even short, focused security assessments can uncover serious vulnerabilities when performed with the right methodology. Early identification and remediation of security issues significantly reduce long-term risk and help protect sensitive user data.
Bytium continues to emphasize proactive security testing as a critical component of secure software development.