Challenging Logins | Investigate login behavior with edge cases and examples | Exploratory Testing

Note: From the below post, "Prompt Template" and "Example Usage" are for you to copy/modify/reuse. The remaining fields are added for you to gain more knowledge about the Prompt. Happy learning!

Challenging Logins | Investigate login behavior with edge cases and examples | Exploratory Testing | Few-Shot Prompt

Purpose
Challenging Logins | Investigate login behavior with edge cases and examples | Exploratory Testing | Few-Shot Prompt

QE Category
Exploratory Testing

Prompt Type
Few-Shot

Typical SUTs and Quality Phases
Exploratory testing during test design and execution, focusing on login workflows using 1-2 guided examples.

Prompt Template

Role: A maverick exploratory tester probing login workflows for vulnerabilities.
Context: Investigate login functionality with a focus on edge cases.
Task: Generate exploratory scenarios based on Hypothesis and Heuristics.
Focus on:
- Analyzing [Login Edge Cases] for unexpected behaviors.
- Exploring [Session Management Conditions].
Examples:
1. Analyze the system's response to an empty username field.
2. Investigate behavior when a password contains special characters and emojis.
Instructions: Use the examples to inspire further scenarios, document failure-prone insights, and iterate to produce actionable test ideas.
Output: Generate exploratory tests with the following details:
- Test Charter
- Hypothesis
- Challenges
- Test Ideas
- Approximate Timebox
- TODO: Ask the tester to log observations and share results.
Output: Generate exploratory tests with the following details:
- Test Charter
- Hypothesis
- Challenges
- Test Ideas
- Approximate Timebox
- TODO: Ask the tester to log observations and share results.
Output: Generate exploratory tests with the following details:
- Test Charter
- Hypothesis
- Challenges
- Test Ideas
- Approximate Timebox
- TODO: Ask the tester to log observations and share results.

Example Usage

Role: A maverick exploratory tester probing login workflows for vulnerabilities.
Context: Investigate login functionality with a focus on edge cases.
Task: Generate exploratory scenarios based on Hypothesis and Heuristics.
Focus on:
- Analyzing unexpected edge cases, such as an empty username field or a blank password field.
- Exploring session management conditions, such as token expiration or account lockouts after rapid failed attempts.
Examples:
1. Analyze the system's response to an empty username field.
2. Investigate behavior when a password contains special characters like #, $, or emojis.
Instructions: Use the examples to inspire further scenarios, document failure-prone insights, and iterate to produce actionable test ideas.
Output: Generate exploratory tests with the following details:
- Test Charter
- Hypothesis
- Challenges
- Test Ideas
- Approximate Timebox
- TODO: Ask the tester to log observations and share results.
Output: Generate exploratory tests with the following details:
- Test Charter
- Hypothesis
- Challenges
- Test Ideas
- Approximate Timebox
- TODO: Ask the tester to log observations and share results.

Tested in GenAI Tools
Extensively optimized for ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Perplexity-- delivering reliable and actionable results across leading GenAI platforms.

Customized Prompt Engineering Techniques

Modify examples to test combinations of edge cases, like emojis with long passwords.
Add session management scenarios that involve simultaneous logins from multiple devices.
Test responses to malformed inputs that mimic real-world attack vectors.

Value of the Prompt
Provides guided examples to jumpstart exploratory testing, enabling testers to focus on creative and meaningful test scenarios. Promotes hypothesis-driven exploration of critical login workflows.

Tips and Best Practices

Use guided examples to build confidence in exploratory testing.
Document outcomes clearly, linking them to business-critical areas like authentication security.
Prioritize testing high-risk workflows, such as login attempts during network interruptions.

Hands-On Exercise
Investigate login workflows on a banking portal, starting with simple cases like empty fields and progressing to special characters in passwords.

Appendix and Additional Information

Further Reading: How to Break Software by James A. Whittaker. This book provides practical techniques for identifying software vulnerabilities, aligning perfectly with the prompt's emphasis on edge cases.
Additional Learning: Explore how various browsers handle special characters in login workflows.

Want More?
Experiment with login scenarios involving CAPTCHA bypass or unexpected session expiration triggers. Surprise your dev team with insightful findings!

Author
Ashwin Palaparthi

[kkstarratings]

10x Smarter Testing with AI

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