Vulnerability testing involves the automated collection of information about the patching and configuration status of the tested platforms and the evaluation of this information in the context of current threats and known vulnerabilities. In the case of vulnerability tests, known types of vulnerabilities are identified in the examined infrastructure, but there is no practical verification of their exploitability. This is different from penetration testing.
Penetration tests are aimed at identifying vulnerabilities in the tested environment, their subsequent exploitation and evaluation of the real impact. This provides the opportunity to accurately assess the risk associated with the identified vulnerabilities. The result of these tests is the formulation of specific recommendations for mitigating vulnerabilities.