HackproofHacks
Online retail security

E-commerce Penetration Testing

An e-commerce platform is a machine for taking money, which makes it a machine attackers want to manipulate. The most damaging flaws are rarely dramatic exploits; they are quiet logic bugs that let someone change a price, reuse a coupon endlessly, or take over an account full of stored payment details. Each one leaks revenue or trust directly.

This engagement tests the flows that touch money and customer data the way a motivated attacker would, and delivers a report that protects both your revenue and your PCI obligations.

Why online stores get targeted

The payment and checkout flow is a prime target because tampering with it pays off immediately. If the server trusts a price, quantity, or discount value sent from the browser, an attacker simply changes it and pays less, or nothing. These logic flaws sit outside any scanner's knowledge because they depend entirely on your specific checkout rules.

Accounts are the other prize. A customer account holds saved addresses, order history, loyalty balances, and often stored payment methods. Weak authentication or a broken password-reset flow turns account takeover into fraud at scale, and automated credential-stuffing attacks hammer login pages continuously looking for exactly that weakness.

If you store, process, or transmit card data, PCI DSS obligations ride on top of all this. Broken access control on orders, prohibited storage of card data, or an exposed admin panel are not just business risks; they are compliance failures. One test addresses both the revenue and the compliance exposure.

What we test

Checkout and pricing logic

Price, quantity, discount, and shipping values tested for client-side tampering, negative amounts, and currency manipulation, plus the full order and payment workflow for logic flaws.

Coupons and promotions

Discount codes tested for reuse, stacking, and brute-forcing, the kind of abuse that quietly erodes margin at scale.

Account security

Login, registration, and password reset tested for account takeover, credential stuffing exposure, and broken access control over order history and saved data.

Application and payment surface

The OWASP fundamentals across the storefront and admin: injection, cross-site scripting, and access control, with attention to any handling of card data.

The report you receive

The report protects revenue and supports compliance. It contains:

  • An executive summary framed around revenue and customer-trust risk.
  • A methodology statement referencing OWASP testing standards.
  • Findings rated by severity with reproduction steps, financial impact, and remediation.
  • Clear attention to checkout, pricing, and payment-related findings.
  • A retest and updated report, useful for PCI and partner requirements.

Findings we commonly report in this category

Price and quantity tampering

Checkout values trusted from the client, letting a shopper alter what they pay for an order.

Coupon abuse

Discount codes that can be reused, stacked, or brute-forced, draining margin without any obvious sign until the numbers are reconciled.

Order access via IDOR

An endpoint that reveals another customer's order, invoice, or address when an id is changed.

Account takeover

A weak or abusable password-reset flow, or missing protection against credential stuffing, exposing accounts and stored payment data.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of flaws lose the most money in e-commerce?

Logic flaws in checkout and promotions: manipulable prices, reusable coupons, and quantity tricks. They rarely trigger alarms and can quietly cost far more than a flashy vulnerability, which is why manual testing of your specific flows matters.

Do we need this if we use a hosted platform like Shopify?

The platform secures its core, but your custom themes, apps, integrations, and any custom checkout or promotion logic are your responsibility, and that is where most exploitable flaws live. We test your specific configuration and customizations.

Does this help with PCI compliance?

Yes. Testing payment flows and access control feeds directly into PCI requirements, and if you handle card data we can align the engagement with your PCI penetration testing needs.

How long does an e-commerce test take?

Usually one to two weeks depending on the size of the store and the number of custom flows. We scope it precisely in a short call up front.

Related services

Ready to scope your e-commerce penetration testing?

Book a free 30-minute scoping call. We agree the scope, timeline, and a fixed price up front — no obligation, and no surprises for your deadline.