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This is where I document my work in Application Security — from vulnerability research and penetration testing to building secure systems with DevSecOps principles. Everything here reflects real hands-on experience, published openly for anyone exploring the same path
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My name is Hala. I am an Application Security Engineer | Penetration Tester | DevSecOps Practitioner | Python Developer | PortSwigger Labs Enthusiast | Lifelong Learner, based in the Northern Virginia / DC metro area.
Check out my security projects, the tools I use, what I'm researching now, and my collection of vulnerability write-ups.
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My interests include application security, web exploitation, API security, penetration testing, secure code review, DevSecOps pipeline hardening, OWASP methodologies, cloud security, and building security into the SDLC.
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A FastAPI-based task management system built with security-first principles. Implements JWT auth, role-based access control, input validation, and rate limiting.
Built an intentionally vulnerable version alongside the production-ready implementation for security testing practice. Features include password hashing with bcrypt, parameterized queries, CORS configuration, and comprehensive input sanitization.
The vulnerable version demonstrates common API security flaws: broken authentication, mass assignment, IDOR, and SQL injection points.
Comprehensive documentation of PortSwigger Web Security Academy lab solutions covering SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, authentication bypasses, and more.
Each lab solution includes detailed methodology, Burp Suite configurations used, payloads tested, and lessons learned. Organized by vulnerability category with difficulty progression.
Covers apprentice through expert-level labs with emphasis on understanding the underlying vulnerability mechanics.
CI/CD pipeline with integrated security scanning using GitHub Actions. Includes SAST, dependency scanning, secret detection, and container security checks.
Automated security pipeline that runs on every pull request. Integrates Semgrep for SAST, Trivy for container vulnerability scanning, and custom Python scripts for secret detection.
Demonstrates shift-left security practices with automated gate checks that prevent vulnerable code from reaching production.
An intentionally vulnerable Next.js e-commerce application for practicing application security testing and demonstrating common web vulnerabilities.
Contains seeded vulnerabilities across the OWASP Top 10 including XSS, CSRF, insecure deserialization, and broken access controls. Each vulnerability is documented with exploitation steps and remediation guidance.
Designed to be deployed in isolated Docker containers for safe testing and learning.
$ls ~/writeups/ --sort=date
- Exploiting Blind SQL Injection via Time-Based Techniques 02/10/25
- Breaking JWT Authentication: From None Algorithm to Key Confusion 01/28/25
- SSRF in Cloud Environments: Exploiting Metadata Endpoints 01/15/25
- Securing FastAPI: A Practical Guide to API Hardening 12/20/24
- XSS Deep Dive: From Reflected to DOM-Based Exploitation 12/05/24
- IDOR Hunting: Methodology for Finding Broken Access Controls 11/18/24
- Building a DevSecOps Pipeline from Scratch 11/02/24
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Open to collaboration on AppSec research, CTF challenges, and DevSecOps projects. Feel free to reach out via any of the channels above.