Penetration TestingOnce your application is installed, whoever uses it has the whole client in their hands. They can decompile it, read what it saves on disk and intercept the traffic it sends to your servers, then change it to get around the checks it enforces. We test your desktop applications the same way.
REQUEST THIS SERVICEDesktop and thick client applications for Windows, macOS and Linux, written in .NET (WinForms, WPF), Java (Swing, JavaFX), C or C++, or built on Electron and other web technologies. We test the client on the machine where it runs, the traffic it sends and the back-end it connects to.
We combine our internal methodology with the OWASP WSTG and ASVS for the back-end and the OWASP Thick Client Application Security Verification Standard (TCASVS) for the client. The risks in the OWASP Desktop App Security Top 10 are only a small part of what we check, and we add tests aimed at the most recent classes of vulnerabilities.
We decompile or disassemble the client and watch it while it runs, looking for credentials and keys left in the binary, in configuration files, in the registry or in memory. Then we change its code to get around checks that run only on the client, such as license or permission checks.
We intercept the traffic between the client and its servers, proprietary protocols included, to see what can be read or changed on the way and whether the servers accept requests that don't come from the application. Then we test the back-end with the same checks as an API penetration test: authentication, authorization and the data each user can reach.
An application can also become a way into the computer it runs on. We look for DLL hijacking, weak permissions on files and services, privilege escalation paths and update mechanisms that could install someone else's code. If it runs in Citrix, a VDI or kiosk mode, we also try to break out of it into the underlying system.
You receive a report written and signed off by our testers, with an executive summary, verified findings with CVSS scores, remediation guidance and a proof of concept wherever the issue is exploitable. On request, we map each finding to the TCASVS or to CWE. We walk your team through the results and retest to confirm each issue is closed.
We are an Italian security company focused on cloud and application security. Our services draw on years of penetration testing, consulting, training and research.
FAQ
What clients usually ask us before we test a desktop application.
The installer or build of the version you want tested, at least one account for each role and a test back-end we can reach, with our IP addresses allowlisted if needed. If the application only runs in your environment, such as Citrix, a VDI or a kiosk, we work remotely, through access you give us, a virtual machine or an image of the system.
No. We work on the installed application, which is also what an attacker has. If you want to go further, a secure code review of the client and its back-end finds issues that testing the running application alone can miss.
Yes, because anyone who can run it has the client in hand: an employee looking for more access than their role allows, or an attacker who has taken over a single workstation. Internal applications also tend to trust their users more, and some connect straight to a database with the credentials stored in the client.
No. An Electron application is a web application with access to the operating system: with the wrong settings, a cross-site scripting flaw that in a browser stays inside the page can run commands on the user's computer. So besides the web part, we check the settings in the Electron security checklist, such as Node.js integration, context isolation and the sandbox.
Cloud SecurityBeDefended helps you protect your applications and data in the cloud. Our certified professionals provide cloud configuration reviews, security assessments and consulting for the major cloud platforms.
Security ConsultingBeDefended helps your company secure the entire lifecycle of your software and AI-powered solutions, whether you build them or buy them.
Blockchain SecurityBeDefended audits your smart contracts to find vulnerabilities and show you how to fix them.
Effective date: July 21, 2026
BeDefended S.r.l. ("us", "we", or "our") operates the www.bedefended.com website (the "Service").
This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data.
This Privacy Policy is provided in compliance with article 13 of the GDPR 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation).
We use your data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
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While using our Service, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you ("Personal Data"). Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to email address, first name and last name.
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