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NodeX Connectors: Run Internal Engagements Inside Your Network

Deploy NodeX as an OVA, VMDK, or Hyper-V image to extend SpartanX red teaming into internal networks. Connects back to the SaaS platform with egress to three SpartanX domains.

Written by Antônio Baggio

NodeX Connectors extend SpartanX's AI-powered red teaming to your internal network. By deploying a lightweight virtual image inside your environment, you get the same autonomous penetration testing capabilities for internal infrastructure that SpartanX provides for external attack surfaces.


What Is a NodeX Connector?

A NodeX Connector is a downloadable virtual machine image that you deploy on any host with access to your internal network. Once deployed and paired with the SpartanX platform, it acts as the agent's foothold inside your environment — performing reconnaissance, exploitation, and validation against internal assets.


Key characteristics:

  • No limit on the number of connectors — deploy as many as needed across different network segments at no extra cost

  • Minimal hardware requirements — runs on a basic laptop or a cloud VM

  • Available in multiple formats — OVA (VirtualBox), VMware, VMDK, Hyper-V, and others

  • Internet-only outbound — the connector communicates with SpartanX's cloud platform via outbound connections to three SpartanX domains

Deploying a NodeX Connector

The Leo AI agent provides step-by-step deployment instructions. Open the help panel, ask for a NodeX deployment guide, and follow the generated walkthrough. The process covers:

  • Downloading the image for your hypervisor

  • Logging in with the temporary credentials provided (used only for initial pairing — credentials are changed after first login)

  • Pairing the connector with your SpartanX workspace

If your network uses egress filtering, ask Leo which SpartanX domains need to be whitelisted. You can also connect to a live engineer if the setup requires additional help.
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Adding the Connector to SpartanX

Once deployed, add the node in SpartanX:

  • Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "AWS Prod VPC Connector" or "Corporate LAN Node")

  • Specify the deployment location (custom, AWS, GCP, etc.)

  • Assign the internal network segments the connector should have access to (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24)

The connector must have routable access to the network ranges you want to test. For example, if testing the 10.0.0.0/8 range, the host running the connector must be able to reach those addresses.
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Running Internal Engagements

With a connector deployed and paired, internal engagements use the same wizard as external ones — full-scope adaptive intensity or the advanced wizard. The connector acts as the agent's launch point inside your network, enabling testing of:

  • Corporate workstations and servers

  • Internal web applications and APIs

  • Cloud VPCs and private subnets

  • Development, staging, and production environments

Managing Connectors

The NodeX Connectors dashboard provides a consolidated view of all deployed connectors:

  • Connected — active and ready to test

  • Pairing — in the process of being set up

  • Issues — connectivity or configuration problems

  • Revoked — decommissioned connectors

Connector information can be exported for auditing and inventory purposes.
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What's Next

With engagements running, the next step is reviewing results. The following section covers how to analyze completed engagements — from risk scores and vulnerability distributions to agent reasoning trails and exploitation evidence.

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