An attack narrative is a crucial part of a penetration testing report. It explains how the tester was able to exploit vulnerabilities, providing a story-like structure of the attack path taken. This helps the client understand the sequence of actions, from initial access to potential compromise, and the real-world impact.
The attack narrative often includes:
* Initial access methods
* Privilege escalation steps
* Lateral movement within the network
* Data exfiltration scenarios
* Tools and techniques used
According to the CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-003 Official Study Guide (Chapter 11: Reporting and Communication):
"The attack narrative should be a detailed timeline of the tester's actions, findings, and techniques used during the assessment. It allows technical and non-technical stakeholders to understand the context of the findings."