Zoho CRM Security Review
Zoho CRM’s sharing rules can only widen access, never narrow it below your role hierarchy. We test your roles, profiles, sharing rules, Deluge functions and connected app scopes. CREST-certified testers, fixed price from £4,180 for a 3-day single-platform scope, quoted within 24 hours.
- Unlimited retesting
- Unlimited pre-retesting
- No hidden fees
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Deluge functions run inside Zoho with their own ability to call external URLs and respond to workflow triggers. We test what your Deluge functions can actually reach and trigger.
Why a Zoho CRM finding is a sharing setting, not a Zoho vulnerability
Zoho CRM’s role hierarchy gives every role automatic access to the CRM records owned by the roles below it, and Profiles carry the separate, granular permissions for which modules, settings and developer features a user can reach. Where a module’s org-wide default is set to Private, Zoho’s own sharing rules documentation confirms a sharing rule can only widen access across roles and groups, never restrict it further. We test every sharing rule against the hierarchy and profile permissions it sits on top of, plus which fields are hidden or read-only per profile.
Connected apps authenticate with OAuth 2.0 scopes written as service.scope.operation, such as ZohoCRM.modules.ALL, and access tokens last an hour while refresh tokens stay valid until revoked. Deluge functions run as a serverless layer triggered by workflows, buttons or schedules, and Zoho’s Connections feature is intended to hold the credentials an external call needs rather than have them embedded in the function itself. We test which scopes every connected app holds, what a leaked refresh token would expose, and what a Deluge function can actually reach.
Portals extend specific modules and data, with view, edit or create access, to contacts, vendors or partners outside your organisation, and portal users can authenticate through SAML SSO where it is configured. Outgoing webhooks attached to a workflow rule authenticate to the receiving system with an API key or auth token that you configure, and we test how your receiving endpoint verifies that a request genuinely came from Zoho before acting on it. Multi-factor authentication and SAML SSO are both configured at the Zoho Accounts organisation level; we test whether every admin and portal account in scope is actually covered.
SCOPE
What we pen test on a Zoho CRM account
Role Hierarchy and Profiles
Zoho CRM’s role hierarchy gives every role automatic access to the records owned by the roles below it, while Profiles hold the separate, granular permissions for which modules, settings and developer features a user can reach. We test whether every role and profile combination actually matches the access your business intends.
Data Sharing Rules
A sharing rule can only widen access across roles and groups beyond a module’s Private default, never restrict it further, so a rule added for one purpose can open records to people it was never meant to reach. We test every sharing rule against the hierarchy and default it sits on top of.
Field-Level Security
Admins can hide a field or make it read-only for a specific profile through Zoho’s field access permissions, separately from the module-level access that profile already has. We test whether a sensitive field, such as a financial or personal data field, is actually restricted for every profile that should not see it.
Connected App OAuth Scopes
Connected apps authenticate with OAuth 2.0 scopes written as service.scope.operation, such as ZohoCRM.modules.ALL, registered as a client-based, server-based or self-client app in the Zoho Developer Console. We test which scopes every connected app actually holds and what an access or refresh token would expose if it leaked.
Refresh Token Handling
A Zoho access token lasts an hour, but its refresh token stays valid until it is revoked, so a leaked refresh token is a standing credential rather than a short-lived one. We test where refresh tokens are stored by the integrations using them and how quickly one can actually be revoked.
Deluge Custom Functions
Deluge functions run as a serverless layer triggered by workflows, buttons or schedules, with their own ability to call external URLs through the invokeUrl task. We test what your Deluge functions can reach, what data they handle, and whether any of them build a request in a way that lets an attacker influence where it goes.
External Connections and Credentials
Zoho’s Connections feature is intended to hold the credentials a Deluge function needs for an external service, rather than having them embedded in the function itself. We test whether every Deluge function that calls out to another service is actually using a Connection, or holding a credential directly in code that a viewer with function-edit access could read.
Portal User Access
Portals extend specific modules and data, at a view, edit or create level, to contacts, vendors or partners outside your organisation, and portal users can authenticate through SAML SSO where it is configured. We test whether a portal user can reach a module or record beyond what their portal role was meant to expose.
Outgoing Webhook Authentication
Outgoing webhooks attached to a workflow rule authenticate to the receiving system with an API key or auth token that you configure. We test how your receiving endpoint verifies that a request genuinely came from Zoho before acting on what it is sent.
Admin MFA and SSO Coverage
Multi-factor authentication and SAML SSO are both configured at the Zoho Accounts organisation level rather than per profile, so a gap in that configuration affects every user under it. We test whether MFA and SSO are actually enforced for every admin and portal account in scope, not just available to them.
OUR PROCESS
Zoho CRM Security Review: From Scope to Attestation
Scope and Access
We agree the account, an admin test account, and a regular user account for a couple of your roles and profiles, plus which connected apps, Deluge functions and portals are in scope.
Permission and Scope Mapping
We map the role hierarchy, profiles, sharing rules, field-level security, OAuth scopes and portal access across your account before manual testing starts.
Manual Testing
A CREST-certified tester manually tests role and profile boundaries, sharing rules, Deluge functions, connected app scopes and webhook authentication, chaining findings where they compound.
Attestation and Retest
You get a technical report with CVSS scores and reproduction steps, a walkthrough call, a free retest once fixes are deployed, and an attestation letter for auditors.
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 Zoho CRM 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 £3,500 for a single-role, single-app scope, agreed up front. Most engagements run £5,000 and up. No day-rate surprises.
Dan WilcocksonFounder, 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
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COMPLIANCE READY
Reports Mapped to Every Framework
Findings are written so your team can reference the report against each framework 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 Zoho CRM Security Review Pricing
Pricing depends on the number of roles, integrations and environments in scope. See our pricing page for how we quote.
3 to 5 testing days
Single user role, basic CRUD application, marketing website with auth. Around 5 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quote5 to 7 testing days
Multi-role SaaS, business application with payment integration. Around 8 to 12 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quote7 to 9 testing days
Multi-tenant platform, complex authorisation matrix, integration-heavy applications. Around 15 to 20 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quoteSECTORS
Sectors We Test Zoho CRM For
Sector-specific scoping for regulated UK organisations.
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 Zoho CRM Security Review
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
What access do you need to test our Zoho CRM account?
We need an admin test account, plus a regular user account for a couple of your roles and profiles, so we can test what each level can actually reach. If you use connected apps, Deluge functions or portals, tell us during scoping so we can agree which are in scope.
Will testing touch our live data?
We test whichever account you give us access to. A sandbox or trial account avoids any risk to live CRM records, and if we test your production account, we agree exclusions such as sending real workflow emails before testing starts.
How long does a Zoho CRM security review take?
A single Zoho CRM account sits in our 3-day single-platform scope, with a report typically landing around 6 to 8 working days after kickoff. An account with several connected apps, a large Deluge function library or active portals can move into a wider scope.
Do you test our portals as well as the core CRM?
Yes. If you use Zoho CRM’s customer, vendor or partner portals, we test the access a portal user actually has against the permissions their portal role was meant to grant, as part of the same engagement.
What is out of scope for a single-platform Zoho CRM review?
Zoho’s own infrastructure and multi-tenant platform are never in scope. A separate Zoho One application, or a third-party system that only happens to integrate through the API, is scoped and quoted separately.
Do you need our source code?
We do not need Zoho’s own platform code, since that belongs to Zoho. A grey-box option, where we review your Deluge function source and connected app scopes alongside testing, is available if you want deeper coverage of specific findings.
Does Zoho have a customer penetration-testing policy we need to follow?
Zoho documents its own vulnerability management programme and a public bug bounty for researchers reporting issues in Zoho’s platform, which is a different process from a customer testing their own CRM account. We confirm Zoho’s current terms during scoping before testing starts.
Do you test our outgoing webhooks and Deluge integrations?
Yes. We test what your Deluge functions and outgoing webhooks send, to where, and whether the receiving system can actually tell a genuine Zoho request from a forged one.
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Web, mobile, API, cloud, AI, infrastructure, red team. Pick the test that fits your environment.
Get a fixed price for your Zoho CRM account
Zoho CRM’s sharing rules can only widen access, never narrow it below your role hierarchy. We test your roles, profiles, sharing rules, Deluge functions and connected app scopes. CREST-certified testers, fixed price from £4,180 for a 3-day single-platform scope, quoted within 24 hours.
