Kubernetes Penetration Testing
We test your Kubernetes clusters from a pod's-eye view: what an attacker who lands in a container can reach — RBAC abuse, secrets, node access and full cluster takeover.
What is Kubernetes Penetration Testing?
We test Kubernetes from a pod's-eye view: what an attacker who lands in one container can reach. RBAC abuse, secret access, container breakout and cloud-IAM ties frequently turn a single workload into full cluster and account compromise.
Kubernetes concentrates enormous privilege behind a few misconfigurations, and an attacker who compromises a single pod immediately looks for the way up: an over-broad service-account token, a readable secret, a privileged pod, a path to the node. In managed clusters those paths often extend into the cloud account itself. We test from inside a pod — the realistic assumed-breach position — to map the route from one workload to the whole cluster.
Kubernetes testing also has to follow the cluster's blast radius into the cloud, because in managed environments the two are joined at the hip. A pod's service account often maps to a cloud IAM role, so a container compromise doesn't stop at the cluster edge — it can reach the wider account. Testing that boundary is where a 'contained' container issue turns out to be an account-level one.
Kubernetes Penetration Testing is a manual, exploit-driven assessment: real people attacking your target the way an adversary would, then proving each finding with a working proof of concept. It is not an automated scan with a logo on it — the point is to find and demonstrate the issues that actually put you at risk, and hand your team a clear plan to fix them.
Why it matters
Cloud breaches rarely come from a single flaw; they come from chains of small misconfigurations that end in full account takeover. Identity and configuration are the new perimeter, and both fail silently.
A kubernetes penetration testing engagement replaces guesswork with evidence. Instead of hoping your controls hold, you get a ranked, reproducible picture of where they don’t — before someone hostile finds the same gaps.
Industries & use cases
Kubernetes testing is essential for platform and infrastructure teams, SaaS running on managed clusters (EKS/AKS/GKE), and any organisation whose production runs on containers at scale.
What we test
Manual, exploit-driven coverage focused on real impact — not scanner noise.
- RBAC misconfigurations and escalation
- Container breakout to the node
- Exposed API server and kubelet
- Secrets and service-account tokens
- Network policy and segmentation gaps
- Supply-chain and image security
Signs you should run a kubernetes penetration testing
If any of these apply, testing is overdue.
- You run production on Kubernetes (managed or self-hosted)
- Workloads use cloud IAM via service accounts
- You have multi-tenant or shared clusters
- You've adopted Kubernetes faster than you've hardened it
- You want assurance for a platform your business depends on
Common vulnerabilities we find
The issues that show up again and again in kubernetes penetration testing — and the ones that actually get exploited.
RBAC misconfiguration
Service-account permissions allowing secret access or escalation.
Container breakout
Privileged pods or mounts reaching the underlying node.
Exposed API server / kubelet
Unauthenticated access to cluster control.
Overly permissive service-account tokens
Default or broad tokens granting secret access or escalation cluster-wide.
Weak network policies
Flat pod networking letting a compromised workload reach everything.
Pod-to-cloud IAM abuse
Workload identities granting access to cloud resources beyond the cluster.
Exposed dashboards and etcd
Kubernetes dashboard, etcd or metrics endpoints reachable and unprotected.
Insecure admission and supply chain
Missing admission controls allowing unsigned or over-privileged workloads.
Example attack chain
Real impact rarely comes from one bug — it comes from chaining several. A representative example:
Why choose webhook.press
Attacker mindset
We’re offensive security people who also build the free tools bug-bounty hunters use daily. We test the way real adversaries do — and prove it.
No scanner theatre
You get findings a human exploited and verified, ranked by real business risk — not an unfiltered tool dump padded to look thorough.
Fixed price, free retest
A clear quote after scoping, a report your team and auditors can use, and a free retest to confirm the fixes hold.
Our methodology
A structured, transparent process aligned to OWASP and PTES — with a named point of contact throughout.
Scoping & rules of engagement
We agree the exact targets, depth, timing and constraints for your kubernetes penetration testing, and set clear rules of engagement so testing is safe and predictable.
Reconnaissance & mapping
We enumerate the full attack surface — endpoints, roles, technologies and trust boundaries — and threat-model where an attacker would focus.
Manual testing & exploitation
We attack by hand, verifying and chaining weaknesses into real impact. Automated tooling supports coverage; humans find the logic and authorization bugs it can’t.
Analysis & risk rating
Each finding is validated, rated by real business risk rather than raw scanner severity, and de-duplicated so you get signal, not noise.
Reporting
You receive an executive summary for leadership and a technical section with reproducible PoCs, evidence and concrete, stack-specific remediation.
Free retest
After you remediate, we re-test the closed findings to confirm they are actually fixed — at no extra cost.
What you get
Reproducible PoCs
Every finding ships with a working proof and step-by-step reproduction your engineers can replay and verify.
Risk-ranked findings
Prioritised by real business impact, so you fix what matters first instead of drowning in low-severity noise.
Actionable remediation
Concrete, stack-specific fixes and guidance — not generic “apply best practice” filler.
Free retest
We re-check the closed findings after remediation and confirm they’re resolved.
The report is written for two audiences at once: an executive summary that a non-technical stakeholder can act on, and a detailed technical section — findings, evidence, CVSS and reproduction — that your developers and auditors can use directly.
Manual testing, not just a scan
Automated scanners are fast and useful for coverage, but they only find patterns they already know, and they flood you with false positives. They cannot understand your business logic, chain several small issues into a breach, or tell you which alert actually matters. Our kubernetes penetration testing is led by experienced testers who exploit findings by hand and rank them by the damage they’d really do — the difference between a 300-page tool dump and a short list of things worth fixing.
Standards & compliance
Our kubernetes penetration testing reports are written to support the frameworks your auditors and customers care about — including SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and the EU’s NIS2 and DORA. Each engagement produces clear, independent evidence of testing with scope, methodology and findings documented the way assessors expect, so the same test both hardens your systems and helps satisfy your obligations.
Frameworks we follow
Recognised methodologies, adapted to your target — never a rigid checklist.
- OWASP — Web Security Testing Guide, ASVS and the API Security Top 10
- PTES — the Penetration Testing Execution Standard
- NIST SP 800-115 — technical guide to security testing
- OSSTMM — Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual
- MITRE ATT&CK — to frame real-world adversary techniques
FAQ
Managed clusters (EKS/AKS/GKE)?
Yes — all managed and self-hosted distributions, including their cloud IAM ties.
Do you start from inside a pod?
Typically yes — the realistic assumed-breach position for container workloads.
Managed or self-hosted clusters?
Both — including the cloud-IAM ties that turn a cluster compromise into an account compromise.
Do you start from inside a pod?
Typically yes — it's the realistic starting point for container workloads, though we can vary it.
Do you test the cloud-IAM link?
Yes — pod-to-cloud identity is a primary focus, since it turns cluster compromise into account compromise.
Do you review admission control and supply chain?
Yes — image provenance, admission policies and RBAC together determine real cluster security.
How long does a kubernetes penetration testing take?
Most focused engagements run one to two weeks depending on scope; we agree the exact timeline during scoping.
Is a retest included?
Yes — after you remediate, we re-check the closed findings to confirm they’re fixed, at no extra cost.
How do you price it?
Per engagement, based on scope and depth — you get a fixed quote after a short scoping call. No cookie-cutter packages.
Why teams trust our kubernetes penetration testing
Aligned to recognised standards
Testing follows OWASP, PTES, NIST SP 800-115 and MITRE ATT&CK, and reports support SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, NIS2 and DORA.
Every engagement includes
Reproducible PoCs, risk-ranked findings, concrete remediation, a named point of contact, a free retest, and a summary letter of attestation.
Confidential by default
Work is covered by an NDA, scoped with clear rules of engagement, and data is handled with care throughout — including residency requirements.
Sample report available on request — see our reporting format and depth before you commit. Ask for a sample →
Get a quote for Kubernetes Penetration Testing
Tell us about the target — we’ll come back with scope and a fixed price. Manual, exploit-driven testing with reproducible proof and a free retest.