During a recent Vector Command operation, I had the chance to sit down with one of our red teamers to hear firsthand how they identified and exploited an N-Day vulnerability in a customer’s environment. It’s a clear example of how continuous red teaming can uncover and validate real-world risks before attackers do.
While the organization involved remains anonymous, the events described are real. This story reflects how our always-on testing approach closely mirrors the creativity and persistence of actual threat actors.
Initial Recon: Spotting an N-Day in the Wild
Vector Command engagements begin with one core question: If someone wanted to break in, where would they start? That’s the mindset our red team brings to every operation.
A red team is a group of security professionals who simulate real-world adversaries. Their goal isn't to check boxes or run automated scans, but to think and act like attackers—uncovering weaknesses that traditional assessments often miss. They combine technical skill with creativity, adapting to the environment they’re targeting and exploring how far a real compromise could go.
In this case, as part of Vector Command’s continuous reconnaissance, the red team identified a subdomain hosting a vulnerable web application. The vulnerability, already publicly disclosed, classified the exposure as an N-Day. While the issue was known in the broader security community, it hadn’t yet been patched in this environment.
Using a publicly available proof-of-concept exploit, the team compromised the application and underlying host. From there, they found credentials stored in the file system, granting access to services deeper within the internal network.
From Exploit to Expansion: Breaching the Perimeter and Moving Laterally
As part of our recon, we zeroed in on a subdomain ru ..
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