Fakhir Karim Reda
| Fakhir Karim Reda | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983 (age 42–43) Morocco |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Moroccan |
| 🏫 Education | École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs, Bourges, France |
| 💼 Occupation | Cybersecurity specialist, ethical hacker, entrepreneur |
| Known for | CVE discoveries, EDR bypass research, red team operations |
| 🌐 Website | www |
Fakhir Karim Reda (born 1983) is a Moroccan cybersecurity specialist, ethical hacker, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Cyber Defense Morocco (cyber-defense.ma), a cybersecurity consultancy based in Casablanca. Reda is recognized for his contributions to vulnerability research, including the discovery of multiple CVE-listed security flaws, and his expertise in advanced red team operations and endpoint detection and response (EDR) bypass techniques.[1]
Early life and education
Fakhir Karim Reda was born in Morocco in 1983. His interest in cybersecurity began during childhood through exposure to hacking-themed movies, which sparked his passion for computer security.[2] He initially pursued engineering studies in Morocco before continuing his education at École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs (ENSI) in Bourges, France, where he specialized in information systems security.
Career
Early career and expertise development
After completing his studies in France, Reda returned to Morocco to establish his cybersecurity practice. He developed expertise across multiple domains of information security, including:[2]
- Penetration testing and security assessments
- Digital forensics and incident response
- Reverse engineering and malware analysis
- Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) solutions
- Mobile device management security
Cyber Defense Morocco
In the early 2010s, Reda founded Cyber Defense Morocco, a specialized cybersecurity consultancy that has served over 100 clients across diverse industries, including multinational corporations and government organizations.[2] The company focuses on:
- Red team operations and adversarial simulation
- Advanced penetration testing services
- Vulnerability research and exploit development
- Cybersecurity training and education
- Compliance consulting and risk assessment
Research and publications
Vulnerability discoveries
Reda has discovered and published multiple security vulnerabilities, earning recognition in the cybersecurity community:
CVE-2016-2203 (Symantec Messaging Gateway)
In April 2016, Reda discovered a critical vulnerability in Symantec Messaging Gateway versions 10.6.0-7 and earlier.[3] The flaw allowed authenticated attackers to retrieve and decrypt stored Active Directory passwords using hardcoded encryption keys in the Java implementation. Reda developed a complete Metasploit framework module to demonstrate the exploit, and Symantec officially acknowledged his contribution in their security advisory.[4]
Other discoveries
- CVE-2016-04-26: Telisca IPS Lock 2 Remote Phone Lock vulnerability[1]
- Multiple zero-day vulnerabilities in widely deployed applications
Current research
Reda is actively researching modern cybersecurity challenges, with particular focus on:
EDR Bypass Techniques
In 2025, Reda published comprehensive research on bypassing modern Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems.[5] His white paper "How to Bypass Modern EDRs" details advanced evasion techniques including:
- Thread pool exploitation methods
- Behavioral heuristics circumvention
- Reflective staging and payload design
- Advanced injection methods beyond traditional approaches
The research addresses critical gaps in understanding contemporary attack vectors and has been widely referenced in the cybersecurity community.[6]
Professional recognition
Industry involvement
OWASP membership: Reda has been an active member of the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) since August 2014, contributing to community discussions under the username "zirsalem."[7]
Conference speaking: He regularly participates in cybersecurity conferences, including GITEX Africa 2025, where he was featured as a keynote speaker in the Cybersecurity Forum.[8]
Open source contributions: Reda maintains an active GitHub profile (kfr-ma) with repositories including:[9]
- MassScanner - Network scanning tool
- Custom Metasploit framework modules
- Dr0p1t-Framework - Anti-virus evasion framework
- OutlookPrivacyPlugin - PGP encryption for Microsoft Outlook
Social media presence
Reda maintains an active professional presence on LinkedIn with over 9,600 followers, where he shares insights on cybersecurity trends relevant to the Moroccan and African markets.[10] His content focuses on:
- API security for emerging tech sectors
- Zero Trust architecture implementation
- Ransomware defense strategies
- Web application security best practices
Regional impact
Moroccan cybersecurity landscape
Reda has played a significant role in developing Morocco's cybersecurity capabilities, particularly in the context of the country's National Cybersecurity Strategy and compliance with Law 05-20 on Cybersecurity. His work supports Morocco's position as a regional leader in cybersecurity within the Arab and African markets.
International collaboration
Through his international education and client work, Reda has facilitated knowledge transfer between European and North African cybersecurity communities, contributing to the development of regional expertise and best practices.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Hacker Fakhir Karim Reda - Security Achievements". CXSecurity. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Karim Reda Fakhir - Email & Phone Number". LeadsForge. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Symantec Brightmail 10.6.0-7 - LDAP Credentials Disclosure". Exploit Database. 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "SYMSA1359 - Symantec Messaging Gateway Exposure of Stored Active Directory Password". Broadcom (Symantec). 2016-04-17. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "A Free White Paper for Red Teamers, Pentesters, and Blue Teams". LinkedIn. 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "How to Bypass Modern EDRs: A Free White Paper". LinkedIn. 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Fakhir Karim Reda Member Profile". OWASP. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Cybersecurity Forum". GITEX Africa. 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Fakhir Karim Reda GitHub Profile". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ "Karim Reda Fakhir - Ethical Hacker / Red Teamer". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
External links
- Cyber Defense Morocco official website
- Fakhir Karim Reda on LinkedIn
- OWASP member profile
- GitHub profile
- CVE-2016-2203 details on Exploit-DB
- Symantec Security Advisory SYMSA1359
Category:1983 births
Category:Living people
Category:Moroccan computer scientists
Category:Ethical hackers
Category:Computer security specialists
Category:Vulnerability researchers
Category:Moroccan entrepreneurs
Category:People from Casablanca
Category:École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs alumni
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