Nginx, Apache and IIS Configuration Review
The server in front of your application decides what reaches it, what it caches and what it leaks. We review the configuration against CIS benchmarks and then try to break it. CREST-certified testers, fixed price from £1,480, scoped in 24 hours.
- Unlimited retesting
- No rescheduling or cancellation fees
- Fixed quote within 24 hours
“I would highly recommend EJN Labs to any organisation seeking reliable, detailed, and well-managed penetration testing services, particularly for government or enterprise-level projects.”
Imran SaghirProject Lead, SquareOne“There wasn’t another company we could find that could deliver what we needed in the timeframe we needed. The client loved it, and we got instant ROI from the engagement.”
Dan WilcocksonCo-Founder, CelloriBefore a request touches your application it passes through a proxy, a load balancer and a web server, each with its own idea of what the request means. Where those ideas differ you get request smuggling, cache poisoning and access control that applies to one path but not its encoded twin.
Most of what an attacker reaches first is configuration, not code
The second theme is what the server hands out without being asked. Directory listings, backup files, version control folders, status endpoints, verbose error pages and headers that name the exact build you are running.
The third is trust. Proxies that forward client-controlled headers as if they were internal, upstream calls that follow redirects, and admin interfaces that are only protected by nobody having found them yet.
ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS and Cyber Essentials Plus audits accept manual penetration test evidence. Scan-only evidence is generally insufficient.
WEB SERVER SPECIFICS
What We Actually Test in a Web Server Configuration
Ten areas that apply to the server in front of your application, on top of the standard external checks. Every finding is verified, reproducible and mapped to CIS benchmarks, CWE and CVSS 3.1.
Path handling and normalisation
Traversal, alias misconfiguration, double decoding, and short file name enumeration on IIS.
Request smuggling
Front end and back end disagreement on request framing, and what a smuggled request reaches.
TLS configuration
Protocols, ciphers, certificate chain and expiry, HSTS, and renegotiation behaviour.
Virtual hosts and routing
Default host exposure, host header injection, and applications reachable by IP or by an unintended name.
Management and status interfaces
Server status pages, manager applications, handler mappings and anything reachable without authentication.
Headers and disclosure
Security headers that are missing, and the ones that name your software and version.
Static content
Directory listing, backup and configuration files, dotfiles, and version control folders served to the internet.
Proxy and upstream trust
Forwarded headers taken on trust, request forgery through proxy directives, and redirect following.
Limits and resilience
Body size, timeouts, connection limits and the behaviour under slow or oversized requests.
Logging and error handling
Stack traces, verbose errors, log injection and what ends up in the access log.
METHODOLOGY
What a web server finding looks like
Written the way a finding appears in our reports. The example below is reconstructed from publicly documented research, with hosts, paths and identifiers redacted. We do not republish client findings, named or anonymised.
Path traversal in the web server reaches files outside the document root
- Affected
- An Apache httpd instance fronting [redacted], with a permissive filesystem root directive left in the configuration.
- What we found
- An encoded traversal sequence in the request path escaped the document root and returned system files. With CGI enabled on the same virtual host the same request pattern executed a command as the web user.
- Why it matters
- Arbitrary file read from the web server, remote code execution where CGI was enabled, and disclosure of a database backup that had been left inside the web served directory.
- Fix
- Upgrade httpd, remove the permissive directive from the root directory block, serve only the document root, disable modules you do not use, and move backups out of any web served path.
Reconstructed from public research: CVE-2021-41773 and CVE-2021-42013, path traversal and remote code execution in Apache HTTP Server 2.4.49 and 2.4.50.
Web Server Penetration Testing: From Scope to Attestation
CREST-aligned methodology built on OWASP Web Security Testing Guide, OWASP ASVS, NIST SP 800-115, and PTES. Each finding maps to all four standards plus your specific compliance regime.
Reconnaissance
Application mapping, technology fingerprinting, content discovery, parameter enumeration, authentication-flow analysis, role-matrix construction.
Vulnerability Assessment
Authenticated and unauthenticated automated scanning across every user role, plus targeted manual checks for known weakness patterns.
Manual Exploitation
Hands-on testing by a CREST-certified pentester. Business-logic exploitation, chained vulnerabilities, privilege escalation, impact validation.
Reporting + Retest
Executive summary, technical report with CVSS scores and reproduction steps, walkthrough call, free retest after remediation, attestation letter.
CREDENTIALS
Verified Accreditations Auditors Accept
Every credential below is independently verifiable. UK procurement teams, FCA supervisors, ISO 27001 / SOC 2 auditors, and cyber insurance underwriters all recognise these standards.
GET YOUR QUOTE
Get a CREST Web Server application pen test quote in 24 hours
A fixed-price quote back in one business day, from a named CREST assessor. No sales pipeline, no chasing.
- CREST and IASME accredited. Testing your auditors and clients already recognise.
- Fast-track testing within 24 hours where required. Free retest of every fix included.
- Live findings via your client portal, not a four-week PDF.
- Fixed price from £1,480 for a small, single-scope engagement, agreed up front. Most engagements run £2,340 and up. No day-rate surprises.
Dan WilcocksonCo-Founder, CelloriUnder NDA Further named references available on a scoping call.
- We reply within one business day with a fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
- You approve the scope and we book a start date, usually within 24 hours.
- Live findings land in your client portal as we test, with a free retest of every fix.
Get your fixed pen test quote in 24 hours
Quote request received
We will reply within one business day with your fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
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or book a 20-min scoping call first
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COMPLIANCE READY
Reports Mapped to Every Framework
Findings are explicitly tagged to the relevant control reference. Your audit team submits the report directly without translation work.
ISO 27001:2022
Annex A.8.8 management of technical vulnerabilities plus A.5.15-5.18 and A.8.2-8.5 access control validation.
SOC 2 Type I & II
CC6 logical access, CC7 system operations, CC8 change management evidence.
PCI DSS
Requirement 11.4 application penetration testing across cardholder data environments, including ecommerce penetration testing for online retail platforms.
FCA SYSC
SYSC 4.1.1R, 6.1.1R, 13 mapped to each finding for FCA-regulated firms.
UK GDPR
Article 32 effectiveness testing, customer-data security controls, ICO-acceptable evidence.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Direct certification through our IASME body status, single-vendor delivery.
PRICING
Transparent Web Server Penetration Testing Pricing
Pricing depends on the number of builds and roles in scope, how much the estate varies from host to host, and the depth of the configuration review. The day count flexes; the included deliverables stay the same across all engagements.
1 to 2 days
Single user role, basic CRUD application, marketing website with auth. Typically 5-day engagement.
Get a fixed quote2 to 3 days
Multi-role SaaS, business application with payment integration. Typically 8-12 day engagement.
Get a fixed quote3 to 5 days
Multi-tenant platform, complex authorisation matrix, integration-heavy applications. 15-20 day engagement.
Get a fixed quotePart of Technologies We Pen Test. These are examples of the stacks we publish pages for, not a complete list. If yours is not here we still test it. Related pages:
BY SECTOR
Web Server Penetration Testing for Your Sector
Sector-specialist scoping for UK businesses with sector-specific compliance regimes and threat models.
Fintech & FCA-Regulated
FCA SYSC, Open Banking FAPI 1.0, PSD2 SCA, payment-flow scrutiny, KYC/AML testing.
Fintech sector pageSaaS Companies
SOC 2 Type I & II evidence, multi-tenant boundaries, role escalation, customer-tenant isolation.
SaaS sector pageLaw Firms
SRA Cyber Standard, privileged data, conveyancing fraud defence, partner-tier procurement.
Law firm sector pageHealthcare
NHS DTAC, DSP Toolkit v6, UK GDPR Article 32, EHR systems, telehealth platforms.
Healthcare sector pageInsurance
FCA / PRA Operational Resilience, cyber underwriting, claims data, broker portals.
Insurance sector pagePublic Sector
CCS / G-Cloud framework, NCSC-aligned, citizen-facing services, PSN-compliance scrutiny.
Public sector pageWHY EJN LABS
What You Get From Web Server Penetration Testing
Six concrete differentiators competitors don’t all match.
CREST-Certified Testers, Verifiable
Every test by a CREST-certified pen tester (CRT, CCT APP, CCT INF where applicable). Verify our company status at crest-approved.org.
24-Hour Startup, Where Required
From signed scope to active testing in a single business day for incident response, audit deadlines, or regulator-driven timelines.
Live Findings, Not 4-Week PDFs
Critical issues reported during testing through your client portal. Your team remediates while testing continues.
Audit-Ready Reports
Executive summary plus full technical report with CVSS scores and explicit framework mappings (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, FCA SYSC).
Free Retests, Standard
Verify remediation of every finding before close-out. Letter of attestation for audit submission included. Most competitors charge £1,500-£3,000 per retest.
UK-Based CREST Testers
Every engagement performed by vetted, UK-based CREST-certified testers, matched to your needs, security clearance, and compliance scope.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
Is this a penetration test or an audit?
Both. We review the configuration against CIS benchmarks, then test the findings from outside to show which ones are actually reachable.
Do you need access to the server?
It is better with it. A read-only copy of the configuration makes the review far more thorough than testing blind.
Can you do this alongside an application test?
Yes, and most clients do. The server review usually explains findings the application test surfaces.
We use a CDN or WAF in front. Does that matter?
It matters a great deal, because the smuggling and caching findings live at that boundary. We test with and without it where we can.
How many servers can you cover?
Small covers one or two, standard a handful, enterprise a farm or several environments. The scope document sets the number.
Will you change anything on our servers?
No. This is read and test only, and every recommendation comes with the exact directive to change.
What is included in the price?
Scoping, testing, the executive summary, the technical report, a walkthrough call and free retests until the finding is closed. One scope, one number, no follow-up invoices.
How fast can you start?
Scope to active testing in 24 hours once the scope is agreed, subject to tester availability in your window.
Are your testers CREST certified?
Yes. EJN Labs is a CREST member company and testing is delivered by CREST-qualified testers. The membership is verifiable on the CREST marketplace.
20+ CREST-accredited testing services in one place
Web, mobile, API, cloud, AI, infrastructure, red team. Pick the test that fits your environment.
Get your web server configuration reviewed
Tell us what sits in front of your application. You will have a fixed scope and a number within 24 hours.
