Individual skill
exploiting-insecure-deserialization
Identifying and exploiting insecure deserialization vulnerabilities in Java, PHP, Python, and .NET applications to achieve remote code execution during authorized penetration tests.
internal/tools/skills/data/web-application-security/exploiting-insecure-deserialization/SKILL.md
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- Last checked
- Nov 9, 2026
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- Repository last updated
- Nov 8, 2026
- License
- Apache-2.0
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- cybersecurity Repository topic
- security Repository topic
- bug-bounty Repository topic
- automation Repository topic
- autonomous-pentesting Repository topic
- ai-agent Repository topic
- ai-security Repository topic
- ethical-hacking Repository topic
- golang Repository topic
- penetration-testing Repository topic
- penetration-testing Declared skill tag
- deserialization Declared skill tag
- rce Declared skill tag
- owasp Declared skill tag
- web-security Declared skill tag
- ysoserial Declared skill tag
- security Derived category
- testing Derived category
- security-application Derived category
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# Exploiting Insecure Deserialization
## When to Use
- During authorized penetration tests when applications process serialized data (cookies, API parameters, message queues)
- When identifying Java serialization markers (`ac ed 00 05` / `rO0AB`) in HTTP traffic
- For testing PHP applications that use `unserialize()` on user-controlled input
- When evaluating .NET applications using `BinaryFormatter`, `ObjectStateFormatter`, or `ViewState`
- During security assessments of applications using pickle (Python), Marshal (Ruby), or YAML deserialization
### How to CONFIRM a Hit (avoid false negatives)
- The positive signal is **gadget execution**, not a changed error page: an OOB callback (DNS/HTTP hit on your Collaborator/interactsh) or a measurable sleep gadget delay (`sleep 10` → response ~10s slower than baseline). For blind targets, OOB is the ONLY reliable confirmation.
- Fingerprint the format FIRST so you pick the right chain — a "negative" is usually the wrong format/gadget, not a safe target:
- **Java**: raw bytes `AC ED 00 05`, Base64 `rO0AB`, gzip+Base64 `H4sIA`.