How to Create a Strong VAPT Audit Report?

Alright, so you’ve done the testing. You scanned the network, tested the web app, maybe even poked around a mobile app or cloud infra. You found some stuff, verified a few vulnerabilities. Now what?

Now comes the part most pentesters either don’t enjoy or take for granted.

The VAPT audit report.

Trust me, this part is just as important as the testing itself. I’ve seen great technical testers struggle to explain issues properly. And I’ve also seen average testers write killer reports that actually helped the client improve their security posture.

Because here’s the thing. A good VAPT report isn’t just a list of issues. It’s a communication bridge between the tester, the security team, the devs, the auditors, and sometimes even top management.
So yeah, the report matters. A lot.

What Clients and Auditors Expect From VAPT Audit Report?

Let me be real for a second. Most clients don’t fully understand what SQL injection means or why IDOR can be risky. And they don’t care about 10-page Burp logs or command-line outputs either.

What they want is simple. They want to know

• What the issue is
• How bad it is
• There it exists
• How it can be fixed
• and whether it affects their compliance or business

That’s what a solid VAPT audit report should deliver.

And if you’re reporting for a compliance requirement like ISO 27001 or PCI-DSS or SOC 2, you gotta keep it neat.

I usually break my reports into two parts. One is the Executive Summary and the second is the Technical Findings.

Let’s talk about both.

Executive Summary – Make It Human-Friendly

This part is for non-technical readers about VAPT audit report. Think CIOs, compliance officers, or someone from the client’s leadership team who just wants the TLDR version.

In this section, I usually include

• Brief about what was tested (scope)
• When the test was done.
• How it was performed (manual, automated, hybrid)
• Overall risk level (Low, Medium, High, Critical)
• Number of findings by severity.
• General recommendations.

You don’t need to go overboard. Just be clear and straight. Don’t use terms like CVSSv3 unless you explain what it means. Most of the time, I just say something like

“Out of 12 issues found, 2 were critical and 3 were high. These include things like exposed admin panels and broken authentication. If exploited, they could lead to data leaks or unauthorized access.”

Simple. Effective.

Technical Findings – This Is Where The Real Stuff Is

Now this is the part where you get into the details. But again, make sure it’s readable.

Each finding usually follows this structure:

• Title of vulnerability
  e.g., Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) on user account API.
• Severity
  (Low / Medium / High / Critical)
• Description
  Explain what the issue is in simple terms.
• Affected URL or Asset
  Include endpoint, parameter or location.
• Steps to Reproduce
  This is super important for the dev team. Keep it clean. Use screenshots if needed.
• Impact
  What could happen if someone exploited this
• Recommendation
  How to fix it or reduce the risk.

And if possible, always map it to a standard. Like OWASP Top 10 or CWE or CVSS score. It helps give your report more credibility when it’s going to auditors.

Also, if you found something during authenticated testing, clearly mention what account level was used. Sometimes risks only apply to certain roles.

Read Also: Expert Tips for Salesforce Penetration Testing

Conclusion

So yeah. If you’re doing VAPT and not paying attention to the VAPT audit report part, you’re missing a huge piece of the puzzle.

A clean, clear report not only helps the client understand and fix things faster but also saves you from endless follow-up calls. I learned this the hard way during one project where the devs kept asking for clarifications because I’d written half of the steps in short form. Never again.

Remember

• Keep the report readable.
• Keep it honest.
• Don’t exaggerate risks just to make the report look scary.
• Don’t flood it with too much tool output.

At the end of the day, our job is not just to find vulnerabilities, it’s to help teams secure their systems. And the VAPT report is your final word in that mission.

Hope this gave you a bit of insight into what goes into a good VAPT audit report. If you’re new to this part, just keep refining your format and always put yourself in the client’s shoes when writing.