Security validation
Automotive Penetration Testing and Red Team Assessment
At a glance
- Development
- Verification
- Production
- Operations
- Standards referenced
- ISO/SAE 21434UNECE R155
- Core deliverables
- Test plan and agreed scope
- Reproducible finding records with severity
- Attack path documentation
- Remediation guidance
The problem we are asked to solve
- Security controls are specified but never tested against a capable attacker.
- Findings arrive as tool output rather than engineering-ready evidence.
- Testing covers a single ECU while the real attack path crosses domains.
- Retesting after remediation is unstructured or skipped.
What changes as a result
- Reproducible evidence of exploitable weaknesses
- Attack paths traced across interfaces and supply-chain boundaries
- Severity-rated findings with concrete remediation guidance
- Verification evidence usable in release and approval decisions
Scope of work
What the engagement covers
Scope is agreed per programme. These are the activities we most often deliver for this service.
- ECU and embedded hardware testing
- CAN, LIN, and automotive Ethernet assessment
- Wireless interface testing including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Telematics and connectivity testing
- Firmware and bootloader analysis
- Fuzzing and fault injection
- Mobile application and API testing
- Backend and cloud interface testing
- Red team scenario design
- Structured retesting
Engagement methodology
How we work
A predictable sequence, adapted to your process and release gates rather than replacing them.
- 01
Scope and rules of engagement
Agree targets, access, test environment, safety constraints, and reporting expectations in writing.
- 02
Reconnaissance and modelling
Map interfaces, services, and trust boundaries on the actual target to build a realistic attack model.
- 03
Execute testing
Work through the attack model with manual testing, fuzzing, and fault injection, recording reproduction steps.
- 04
Report with evidence
Deliver severity-rated findings with reproduction detail and remediation guidance an engineer can act on.
- 05
Retest
Confirm fixes resolve the original finding without introducing new exposure on the affected interface.
Deliverables
Every engagement ends with artefacts your organisation owns and can defend in review.
- Test plan and agreed scope
- Reproducible finding records with severity
- Attack path documentation
- Remediation guidance
- Retest report
- Management summary for programme stakeholders
Relevant standards
We help organisations interpret and implement these requirements. We do not certify or approve organisations.
- ISO/SAE 21434
- UNECE R155
Typical use cases
- ECU security validation before a release gate
- Vehicle attack-surface assessment
- Telematics and connected-service testing
- Supplier component security review
Evidence
Case studies covering Penetration Testing and Red Teaming work are being prepared for publication. Automotive security engagements are normally confidential, so we discuss comparable scope, method, and deliverables directly rather than publishing unverifiable claims.
Questions
Frequently asked
What do you need to start a penetration test?
Do you provide retesting after fixes?
Related services
Often delivered together
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Discuss Your Cybersecurity Program
Tell us where the programme is today and we will outline a realistic next step.