Free VAPT Practice Labs
You do not need to pay anyone to start learning penetration testing. Hacklido is our free CTF and lab platform, open to everyone, enrolled or not.
Browser based. Nothing to install, no virtual machine to configure, no credit card.
What is in the labs
| Track | Covers | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Web fundamentals | HTTP, cookies, sessions, request manipulation | Beginner |
| Injection | SQL injection from detection to extraction | Beginner to intermediate |
| Cross site scripting | Reflected, stored and DOM based | Intermediate |
| Access control | IDOR, horizontal and vertical escalation | Intermediate |
| Server side | SSRF, file upload, command injection | Intermediate |
| API | BOLA, mass assignment, JWT attacks | Intermediate to advanced |
| Network | Enumeration, service exploitation | Intermediate |
How to use them properly
Most people work labs the wrong way and learn less than they should. A better method:
- No walkthrough on the first attempt. Struggle for at least thirty minutes. The struggle is the learning; the walkthrough is just the answer.
- Write down what you tried that failed. Your failed attempts become your methodology. Successful attempts teach you almost nothing about how to approach the next unknown target.
- Do it again the next day, from memory. If you cannot, you did not learn it, you watched it.
- Write it up properly. Findings, impact, remediation. Three of these become portfolio material that outperforms a certification in an interview.
A suggested order
If you are starting from zero, this sequence avoids the wall most people hit at week three.
- Web fundamentals, until intercepting and modifying a request is automatic
- SQL injection, manually, at least ten times before touching any automated tool
- Cross site scripting, all three types, paying attention to context
- Access control, which is where the highest severity real world findings live
- SSRF and file upload
- API challenges
- Network enumeration and exploitation
Why we give these away
Because the gap between watching and doing should not have a paywall in front of it, and because the honest test of whether security is for you costs nothing to run.
Work the beginner track. If it clicks and you want structure, a mentor and a certificate, our paid programs are here. If it does not click, you have learned something useful and it cost you nothing. We would rather you find that out now than after paying.
What free labs cannot give you
Worth being straight about. Labs teach exploitation. They do not teach scoping, client communication, working within a change window, handling a WAF that was not designed for your convenience, or writing a report a CFO will act on.
Those are the parts of the job that decide whether you stay a junior, and they are learned with a mentor watching. That is the actual difference between free labs and a program, not the content.
Frequently asked questions
Are these labs really free?
Yes. Hacklido is open to everyone with no payment and no enrolment in any paid program. It is a separate free platform.
Do I need to install anything?
No. The labs are browser based. Any machine running a modern browser works. There is no virtual machine to configure.
Are free labs enough to get a job?
They are enough to build exploitation skill, which is most of the technical bar. They do not teach scoping, client communication or report writing, which is what a structured program adds.
What order should I work through them?
Web fundamentals, then SQL injection manually, then XSS, then access control, then SSRF and file upload, then API, then network. This sequence avoids the wall most beginners hit.
Should I use walkthroughs?
Not on the first attempt. Struggle for at least thirty minutes first. The struggle is the learning; the walkthrough is only the answer.
Can I put lab work on my resume?
Yes, if you write it up properly. Three well documented writeups with impact analysis outperform a certification with nothing behind it in technical interviews.