Center of Excellence Security -Thick Client Penetration Testing

Thick Client Penetration
Testing

Secure your applications with expert testing. Identify vulnerabilities, enhance security, and protect critical data with confidence.

Thick Client Penetration Testing at COE Security

COE Security’s Thick-Client Penetration Testing delivers continuous, on-demand assessments of desktop and rich-client applications to uncover vulnerabilities in client-side logic, data handling, and proprietary protocols. By combining automated instrumentation with expert manual analysis, we simulate real-world attacks on installed software – identifying authentication flaws, insecure storage, and communication weaknesses – without disrupting end-user operations. Our tailored service lets you schedule recurring tests or trigger assessments after each build, ensuring new features and patches never introduce exploitable gaps. You receive prioritized findings and actionable remediation guidance so development and security teams can harden binaries, secure data flows, and maintain robust defenses as applications evolve. Continuous visibility across versions, platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux), and deployment models comes with minimal-impact testing that preserves user experience, expert validation of automated scans, and CI/CD integration for shift-left security.

Our Approach

Define scope and components: Identify the thick client, its backend, APIs, and dependencies for testing.
Set up a test environment: Create an isolated lab that mimics the production setup safely.
Perform reconnaissance: Analyze app architecture, protocols, and communication patterns.
Reverse engineer the binary: Use tools to inspect code, logic, hardcoded secrets, and APIs.
Review local storage: Check for sensitive data in config files, logs, or registries.

Analyze network traffic: Intercept and manipulate traffic to test encryption and auth mechanisms.
Run dynamic testing: Interact with the app to uncover runtime flaws like buffer overflows or logic bugs.
Test local IPC and privileges: Check for insecure inter-process communications and escalation paths.
Evaluate backend/API security: Test input validation, auth checks, and data handling with connected services.
Report and validate fixes: Share findings with remediation steps and retest after patching.

Code Assisted

Business Logic Flaws

Indepth Validation

API security

Thick Client Penetration Testing Process

Our established thick client penetration methodology delivers comprehensive testing and actionable recommendations.

Analyze

Threat Model

Active Testing

Business Logic Analysis

Reporting

Why Choose COE Security’s Thick Client Penetration Testing?

Expertise in thick client security ensures accurate, in-depth testing: Our team specializes in desktop app assessments, going beyond surface-level scans.
End-to-end coverage across client-server communication and backend services: We assess all moving parts to identify systemic risks.
Standards-based methodology aligned with OWASP and industry best practices: Ensures reliable, compliance-ready testing.
Advanced reverse engineering reveals hardcoded secrets and logic flaws: We analyze binaries to expose what automated tools can’t detect.
Custom tools and automation speed up testing and increase depth: Proprietary scripts help us find complex issues efficiently.

IPC and network protocol testing uncovers hidden communication vulnerabilities: We probe for insecure transmissions, spoofing, and weak encryption.
Zero false-positive reports ensure only verified issues are presented: Saves time for developers and enhances remediation focus.
Actionable remediation steps support faster fixes and hardening: Each finding includes clear, tailored guidance.
Support for secure SDLC with CI/CD integration recommendations: We help you embed security throughout the development process.
Trusted by clients in regulated and high-risk industries: Proven track record in delivering impactful security outcomes.

Five Areas Section of Thick Client Penetration Testing

Penetration Testing as a Service

Our Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) provides continuous, on-demand security testing for thick client applications. Unlike web or mobile applications, thick client applications are often installed locally on users’ devices and have unique security concerns. With PTaaS, we simulate real-world attacks on your thick client apps, focusing on vulnerabilities such as insecure data storage, improper session handling, code injection, and client-side security flaws. Through regular and comprehensive testing cycles, we uncover hidden vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers, ensuring that your application is secure, resilient, and prepared for any potential threats.

Application Security Consulting

Our Application Security Consulting services are designed to integrate security into every phase of your thick client application development lifecycle. We work with your development team to identify potential security risks early and provide guidance on implementing best practices for secure coding, architecture, and testing. From securing data storage to hardening communication channels, our experts help you build a strong security foundation for your thick client applications. Additionally, we assist in conducting threat modeling, static code analysis, and risk assessments to ensure that your thick client apps are secure against both internal and external threats.

We also address risks unique to thick clients, such as local data exposure and reverse engineering. Our approach helps reduce rework, accelerates secure development, and ensures long-term application integrity.

Software Compliance Testing

Compliance with industry standards and regulations is essential, even for thick client applications. Our Software Compliance Testing service ensures that your thick client applications meet the required regulatory frameworks, including GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and others. We conduct detailed assessments to ensure that your software adheres to security, data privacy, and accessibility standards. By performing thorough compliance testing, we help you identify any gaps or non-compliance areas that could lead to penalties, data breaches, or reputational damage. Our testing provides you with the assurance that your thick client application meets legal and regulatory requirements, minimizing legal and operational risks.

Secure Software Development Consulting

Secure development practices are crucial when building thick client applications to ensure that security vulnerabilities are mitigated during the development phase. Our Secure Software Development Consulting services guide your team in adopting secure coding techniques and integrating security into the software development lifecycle (SDLC). We provide hands-on support in threat modeling, secure architecture design, and vulnerability management, ensuring that your thick client applications are built with security in mind from the very beginning. By applying secure development practices, we reduce the risk of introducing security flaws, ensuring that your applications are resistant to exploits, such as buffer overflows, insecure deserialization, and privilege escalation.

Application Security Posture Management

Application Security Posture Management is a continuous, proactive approach to managing and improving the security of your thick client applications. We help you monitor your application’s security posture over time, ensuring that new vulnerabilities are quickly identified and mitigated. This includes regular vulnerability assessments, patch management, and threat intelligence integration to stay ahead of emerging threats. Our team provides ongoing support to address security gaps, track the effectiveness of security controls, and ensure that your application’s security posture is always up to date. By maintaining a strong security posture, we help you protect your thick client applications from evolving cyber threats.

Advanced Offensive Security Solutions

COE Security empowers your organization with on-demand expertise to uncover vulnerabilities, remediate risks, and strengthen your security posture. Our scalable approach enhances agility, enabling you to address current challenges and adapt to future demands without expanding your workforce.