Blockchain penetration testing goes beyond exploring common vulnerabilities and covers blockchain-specific attack vectors such as consensus mechanism weaknesses, smart contracts vulnerabilities, and node-related exploits.

At ScienceSoft, we apply our combined expertise in security testing, blockchain, and financial software development to guarantee reliable protection for blockchain systems of any complexity.

Blockchain Penetration Testing Types We Cover

We cover all aspects of blockchain security testing to fully address your security needs:

External penetration testing

Our goal is to examine the external protection of your blockchain infrastructure. We conduct vulnerability assessments and exploit the detected security flaws to confirm the findings. We test:

Web servers (cloud and on-premise) that host publicly accessible blockchain apps.
API gateways, API endpoints, and request handling mechanisms.
Integrated oracle systems and external services (wallets, identity verification).
Cross-chain bridges.

Internal penetration testing

ScienceSoft's pentesters find vulnerabilities that can be exploited after breaching the external security controls. Our team imitates real-world intruders’ actions in a secure and controlled environment:

Progressing through the network of blockchain nodes as far as possible.
Tampering with transaction history and affecting the consensus mechanism.
Gaining and elevating privileges.
Gaining access to crypto assets, blockchain identity keys, and other sensitive data.

Blockchain architecture and logic assessment

We uncover vulnerabilities in blockchain design and find discrepancies between business logic and blockchain-based applications. We review:

The architecture of blockchain-based solutions.
Cross-chain integrations and blockchain integrations with other advanced software systems (AI, IoT, etc.).
The business logic implemented in the blockchain's application layer.

Blockchain code testing and review

We detect security flaws by conducting a comprehensive code audit:

Static application security testing (SAST) of the app’s back end and smart contracts' source code and bytecode.
Dynamic application security testing (DAST) of the app’s front end.
Manual code review.

Pentesting within compliance pre-audit

We examine regulatory compliance requirements for cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based applications:

Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance: PCI DSS, KYC/AML, SEC, FINRA, GLBA, NYDFS.
Healthcare: HIPAA, HITECH.
Privacy and data protection regulations: CCPA, GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 27001/27002.
Other relevant global, country- and industry-specific standards and regulations.

Social engineering testing

We simulate social engineering attacks to evaluate how your security tools and employees recognize and withstand different attacks, including:

Phishing (e.g., fake ICOs, wallets, airdrops).
Pretexting or baiting to steal sensitive data like private keys, recovery phrases, and personal data.
Tech support scams to access sensitive user data and steal crypto assets.

We Offer Tailored Blockchain Pentesting Services

ScienceSoft's pentesters can closely analyze your case and provide the optimal combination of pentesting services to ensure your blockchain’s security in a time- and cost-efficient manner.

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Penetration Testing for Diverse Blockchain Solutions

Blockchain networks

ScienceSoft provides network penetration testing for private, public, and hybrid blockchains to address poor cryptography, improper access management, network congestion problems, and consensus algorithm flaws.

Tokenized asset solutions

We test asset tokenization systems (NFT platforms, ICO and STO solutions) to identify components vulnerable to malicious NFTs, oracle exploits, and brute-force attacks. We also examine tokenized assets for regulatory compliance.

Blockchain-based market platforms

We offer penetration testing for decentralized apps, including DeFi platforms, ecommerce apps, and NFT marketplaces. Our pentesters reveal vulnerabilities in web and mobile apps, DeFi protocols, RPC nodes, and oracle integrations.

Smart contracts

We help prevent reentrancy attacks, integer overflow attacks, sensitive data disclosure, and other cybersecurity incidents related to smart contracts. ScienceSoft's pentesting team uncovers vulnerable third-party components, unsafe code, and broken access controls.

dApps (decentralized applications)

ScienceSoft provides pentesting for dApps such as crypto wallets and metaverse apps. We review the source code, brute-force protection, and fraud detection mechanisms. Our pentesters verify the secure and encrypted storage of private keys and seed phrases.

Cross-chain bridges

Our cybersecurity team examines cross-chain communication, consensus mechanisms, and transaction validation. We spot cryptography issues and reveal vulnerabilities that may lead to key theft, fake deposits, and validator takeover.

Why Choose ScienceSoft as Your Blockchain Penetration Testing Vendor

Hands-on experience

Since 2003 in cybersecurity.
Since 2020 in blockchain development and quality assurance.
A portfolio of blockchain projects for demanding industries such as BFSI, entertainment, and manufacturing.

A team of top experts

Certified Ethical Hackers.
Security engineers proficient in NIST and OWASP methodologies as well as leading blockchain testing tools: Mythrill, Slither, MythX, Contract-Library, and more.
Compliance consultants well-versed in region- and domain-specific standards and regulations, including SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOX, GLBA, NYDFS, GDPR, and SAMA.

Focus on quality and accountability

Quality-first approach based on an ISO 9001-certified quality management system.
Robust data security management supported by an ISO 27001 certificate.
Recognized among the Top Penetration Testing Companies by Clutch.
Featured in the IAOP Global Outsourcing 100 list for two consecutive years (2022, 2023).

Their team provided penetration testing in a timely and professional manner and gave us valuable recommendations on improving the security of our web apps and the external IP address.

Rostyslav-Pavlo Shemeliak, Vice-President at Stobox, a tokenization services company

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Our Three Main Penetration Testing Methods

Black box pentesting

ScienceSoft's pentesters act as outside attackers who don’t have prior knowledge of their target. They gather publicly available information about your blockchain solution, scan it for common security weaknesses, and attempt to break in. This is often the fastest and the most cost-effective pentesting method.

Gray box pentesting

Our pentesters approach your blockchain system with limited knowledge of the target. Depending on the testing scenario, they may require access to architecture diagrams, smart contract code, or low-privileged user credentials. This method balances cost- and time-effectiveness with exploration depth.

White box pentesting

We review the source code and internal blockchain networks and applications; our experts simulate the actions of a malicious insider or an intruder who gained full access to the target. As the most exhaustive method, white-box pentesting usually takes longer and implies giving the pentesters access to your internal systems.

Not Sure Which Method Fits You Best?

At ScienceSoft, we apply a flexible, client-oriented approach to define the optimal pentesting method or their combination, depending on your unique blockchain threat landscape. Reach out to our team to get a free consultation and determine the right strategy for your case.

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Explore ScienceSoft's Success Stories

Proven Techs & Tools We Use for Blockchain Pentesting

The Stages of Blockchain Penetration Testing

Pre-attack phase | Contact & planning

How we start: After you send us a request, our rep contacts you within 24 hours to arrange a discussion of your case. We can sign an NDA before the introductory call to ensure legal protection of your confidential information.
Following the discussion and a careful investigation of your security needs, we prepare a proposal that specifies the testing approach, scope, and methodology.
After signing a service contract, we usually assemble a pentesting team and start the project within one week.

Attack phase | Testing

ScienceSoft's pentesters employ automated security testing tools and custom scripts to detect vulnerabilities in on-chain and off-chain code and blockchain networks. We conduct a thorough manual exploration of blockchain architecture and application logic and validate the results of the automated tests. Combining automated testing tools and manual pentesting speeds up the process while ensuring reliable results with zero false positives.
Our pentesters follow best security practices established by OWASP and NIST SP 800-115.
Throughout the pentesting activities, we guarantee transparent collaboration with regular updates on the process and flexible communication frequency.

Post-attack phase | Reporting & remediation

Our pentesting team delivers a comprehensive report that describes the completed testing activities and the found vulnerabilities. We follow NIST CVSS, OWASP Smart Contract Top 10, and other applicable OWASP classifications to classify blockchain vulnerabilities based on their severity and breakthrough likelihood.
We clearly describe the corrective measures needed to fix each of the found vulnerabilities.
Upon the client’s request, we can implement the required fixes to software code and blockchain infrastructure or establish the necessary procedures and policies to achieve compliance with security standards and regulations.
Finally, our team follows up with a retesting round to verify the applied fixes and confirm they did not create any new vulnerabilities.

Blockchain Penetration Testing FAQ

What are the examples of vulnerabilities you usually find in the blockchain?

Our pentesters usually discover both types of cybersecurity vulnerabilities: common (found in any web software) and blockchain-specific ones. Below are a few examples of the two types of weaknesses.

Blockchain-specific vulnerabilities:

Gas griefing vulnerability means an attacker can affect a smart contract’s business logic through gas exhaustion.
Due to the 51% attack vulnerability, hackers may take over more than 50% of the computing power of a blockchain network to manipulate transactions.

Common vulnerabilities applicable to blockchain:

Sensitive data exposure. To ensure compliance with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA, confidential data must not be stored in the blockchain where it is visible to all participants.
Broken access control. When there is no well-defined set of roles and privileges, unauthorized users and external contracts can access and manipulate your smart contract’s functions, blockchain data, and crypto assets.

What are the examples of recommendations you give after a blockchain pentest?

You can check one of our projects to see real examples of the fixes we recommend.

Other common recommendations include:

Optimize gas usage in Ethereum smart contracts.
Build upgradable smart contracts.
Use the latest major versions of programming languages and frameworks.
Implement effective and secure consensus algorithms (e.g., the algorithm should verify that the transaction was confirmed by enough blocks before payment can be completed).
Set up reliable security tools: antiviruses, firewalls, IDS / IPS, DLP, and DDoS protection.
Encrypt network communications with the latest versions of encryption protocols.
Implement role-based access control.

Can you implement your own recommendations?

Sure! Our experienced blockchain developers, solution architects, and security engineers are ready to carry out the remediation activities. We will also verify their effectiveness with another testing round.

We’re choosing between black, gray, and white box models for our first pentest. What do you recommend?

If you haven’t had pentests before, the black box approach can help quickly discover critical vulnerabilities most likely to be exploited. If you need deeper exploration, you can request a gray box or white box pentest. The main decision-making factors include but are not limited to:

The amount of information about your infrastructure you are willing to share with the pentesting agency.
Budget and time constraints.
Whether the external or internal security controls are a bigger priority for you.
Whether you need a manual code review.

What measures do you recommend to optimize blockchain pentesting costs?

We readily share the best strategies to optimize pentesting costs with our clients when planning a pentesting project. Here are a few tips on how to improve your blockchain solution’s security within budget constraints:

Choose a gray or black box testing approach; they are more cost-effective. If you specifically need source code review, request your vendor to divide the efforts into manageable stages.
Identify the testing targets that are most critical to your project. For instance, smart contracts are a backbone of a number of solutions such as DeFi platforms, NFT marketplaces, and crypto wallets. Another example is focusing on key management, data privacy, access management, and other fundamental security controls for blockchain networks.
Prioritize automated testing over manual exploration where applicable. Test automation tools like Mythrill and Slither can help assess smart contract security in a quick and budget-friendly manner.
Build a long-term partnership with a trustworthy pentesting firm: once they are familiar with your infrastructure, they will be able to complete the work faster and at a lower cost. ScienceSoft offers reduced prices for repeat business.

Verify Your Blockchain Protection with a Reliable Pentesting Vendor

An ISO 27001- and ISO 9001-certified vendor, ScienceSoft guarantees high-quality blockchain penetration testing and full security of your data and assets.

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Blockchain Penetration Testing Services