C. Stop the assessment and inform the emergency contact.
The best action for the penetration tester to take after discovering the unknown IP range on the network device would be to stop the assessment and inform the emergency contact. The IP range belongs to a third-party supplier, which is likely out of scope for the assessment, and any unauthorized access or manipulation of their systems could have severe legal and financial implications.
It would be inappropriate to utilize the tunnel as a means of pivoting to other internal devices, as it would be unauthorized access. Disregarding the IP range would be a violation of professional conduct, as well as a potential violation of laws. Scanning the IP range for additional systems to exploit would be unauthorized access and could lead to severe legal and financial consequences.
It is important for penetration testers to follow strict guidelines and procedures when conducting assessments, and to always err on the side of caution when it comes to accessing systems that are out of scope.