CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-003) Exam Blueprint

defining rules of engagement, testing windows, and target selection.

ensuring authorization letters, mandatory reporting, and adherence to regulations.

aligning with stakeholders through peer reviews, escalation paths, and risk articulation.

creating reports with executive summaries, findings, and remediation recommendations.

gathering information using open-source intelligence (OSINT), network sniffing, and protocol scanning.

performing DNS enumeration, service discovery, and directory enumeration.

using tools like Nmap, Wireshark, and Shodan for information gathering.

customizing Python, PowerShell, and Bash scripts for reconnaissance and enumeration.

conducting authenticated, unauthenticated, static application security testing (SAST) and dynamic application security testing (DAST).

validating findings, troubleshooting configurations, and identifying false positives.

using tools like Nessus, Nikto, and OpenVAS for vulnerability discovery.

performing VLAN hopping, on-path attacks, and service exploitation.

executing brute-force attacks, pass-the-hash, and credential stuffing.

conducting privilege escalation, process injection, and credential dumping.

performing SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and directory traversal.

exploiting container escapes, metadata service attacks, and identity and access management (IAM) misconfiguration.

explaining prompt injection and model manipulation against artificial intelligence systems.

establishing persistence, performing lateral movement, and cleaning up artifacts.

creating attack narratives and providing remediation recommendations.