# pentest-checklist

A skill that walks you through pentest planning: objectives, scope, environment prep, tester selection and monitoring. Useful before a security assessment.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code · 336 installs
- Author: zebbern
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates/tree/HEAD/cli-tool/components/skills/security/pentest-checklist
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/pentest-checklist

## What it does

The skill lays out a penetration test in four phases. Scope definition comes first: why you are testing, which type fits (external, internal, web application, social engineering, red team), where the risk sits and what falls inside the boundaries. Then environment preparation — production or staging, preliminary scans, compliance checks, notifying the hosting provider, freezing deployments for the testing window.

Next comes picking testers and a methodology. The skill asks about experience, certifications, report format and risk rating scale, and helps you choose between black box, gray box and white box. The final phase covers monitoring: IDS/IPS, logging, SIEM, alerting. Everything ships as checklists and comparison tables.

Without written authorization and agreed boundaries the skill has nothing to work with, because the whole flow is built around what may and may not be touched. Testing in the cloud means sorting out the provider's policy in advance — that is a separate prep item.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **claude-code-templates**
```bash
npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill security/pentest-checklist
```

2. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill pentest-checklist -a claude-code
```

3. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/pentest-checklist/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/pentest-checklist/

### Codex

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/pentest-checklist/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/pentest-checklist/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install davila7/claude-code-templates pentest-checklist
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/pentest-checklist/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --path cli-tool/components/skills/security/pentest-checklist
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/pentest-checklist/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates/tree/HEAD/cli-tool/components/skills/security/pentest-checklist

## When to use it
- draw pentest boundaries and keep third-party systems out of scope
- choose between black box, gray box and white box testing
- prepare a staging environment and freeze deploys during the test
- get cloud provider approval before scanning their infrastructure
- define report sections and a risk rating scale

## Example prompts
- help me plan a penetration test for our web app
- build a security assessment checklist for next month
- which logs and alerts should we watch during the pentest

## Similar
- [supabase-pentest](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/supabase-pentest.md) — skill · 698 installs
- [web-pentest](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/web-pentest.md) — skill · 545 installs
- [design-qa-checklist](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/design-qa-checklist.md) — skill · 2200 installs
- [speckit-checklist](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/speckit-checklist.md) — skill · 1500 installs
- [release-checklist](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/release-checklist.md) — skill · 443 installs
- [launch-checklist](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/launch-checklist.md) — skill · 1700 installs

From the same set: [davila7/claude-code-templates](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/davila7/claude-code-templates.md) — 205 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md