Alyssa Herrera, a bug bounty hacker and web application security researcher, delved into developing an exploitable payload for a vulnerability in Pulse Secure Connect (CVE-2019-11510) following intriguing research presented at Black Hat USA 2019. The project began with attempts to reverse engineer the exploit from limited information provided in the presentation slides, eventually leading to the creation of a proof of concept in collaboration with other security experts. The vulnerability allows attackers to access sensitive files on servers running Pulse Secure Connect by exploiting a flaw in path validation. This discovery underscores the critical importance of patching software to mitigate potential breaches, as attackers often target outdated systems to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data. Despite patches being released, a significant number of companies, including major organizations, remain at risk due to unpatched systems. The research emphasizes the necessity of regular updates and vigilance in cybersecurity practices to protect against such vulnerabilities.