Framework № PCI DSS 4.0 от 01.03.2022

11.4.1
Defined Approach Requirements: 
A penetration testing methodology is defined, documented, and implemented by the entity, and includes:

Customized Approach Objective:
A formal methodology is defined for thorough technical testing that attempts to exploit vulnerabilities and security weaknesses via simulated attack methods by a competent manual attacker. 

Applicability Notes:
Testing from inside the network (or “internal penetration testing”) means testing from both inside the CDE and into the CDE from trusted and untrusted internal networks. 
Testing from outside the network (or “external penetration testing”) means testing the exposed external perimeter of trusted networks, and critical systems connected to or accessible to public network infrastructures. 

Defined Approach Testing Procedures:

Purpose:
Attackers spend a lot of time finding external and internal vulnerabilities to leverage to obtain access to cardholder data and then to exfiltrate that data. As such, entities need to test their networks thoroughly, just as an attacker would do. This testing allows the entity to identify and remediate weakness that might be leveraged to compromise the entity’s network and data, and then to take appropriate actions to protect the network and system components from such attacks. 

Good Practice:
Penetration testing techniques will differ based on an organization’s needs and structure and should be suitable for the tested environment—for example, fuzzing, injection, and forgery tests might be appropriate. The type, depth, and complexity of the testing will depend on the specific environment and the needs of the organization. 

Definitions:
Penetration tests simulate a real-world attack situation intending to identify how far an attacker could penetrate an environment, given differing amounts of information provided to the tester. This allows an entity to better understand its potential exposure and develop a strategy to defend against attacks. A penetration test differs from a vulnerability scan, as a penetration test is an active process that usually includes exploiting identified vulnerabilities. 
Scanning for vulnerabilities alone is not a penetration test, nor is a penetration test adequate if the focus is solely on trying to exploit vulnerabilities found in a vulnerability scan. Conducting a vulnerability scan may be one of the first steps, but it is not the only step a penetration tester will perform to plan the testing strategy. Even if a vulnerability scan does not detect known vulnerabilities, the penetration tester will often gain enough knowledge about the system to identify possible security gaps. 
Penetration testing is a highly manual process. While some automated tools may be used, the tester uses their knowledge of systems to gain access into an environment. Often the tester will chain several types of exploits together with the goal of breaking through layers of defenses. For example, if the tester finds a way to gain access to an application server, the tester will then use the compromised server as a point to stage a new attack based on the resources to which the server has access. In this way, a tester can simulate the techniques used by an attacker to identify areas of potential weakness in the environment. The testing of security monitoring and detection methods—for example, to confirm the effectiveness of logging and file integrity monitoring mechanisms, should also be considered. 

Further Information:
Refer to the Information Supplement: Penetration Testing Guidance for additional guidance. 
Industry-accepted penetration testing approaches include: