Listen to this Post
(Relevant Bug Bounty Hunting for Beginners)
Security researchers and penetration testers often engage in bug bounty programs to identify vulnerabilities and earn rewards. A “small hit” like the $50 bounty mentioned can be a great starting point for beginners. Below are practical steps, commands, and tools to help you get started.
You Should Know:
1. Reconnaissance & Enumeration
Before hunting for bugs, gather information about the target:
Subdomain Enumeration subfinder -d example.com -o subdomains.txt amass enum -d example.com -o amass_results.txt Port Scanning nmap -sV -T4 -p- target.com -oN nmap_scan.txt Directory Bruteforcing gobuster dir -u https://target.com -w /path/to/wordlist.txt -o gobuster_scan.txt
2. Vulnerability Scanning
Automated tools help identify common weaknesses:
Web Vulnerability Scanning nikto -h https://target.com -output nikto_scan.txt SQL Injection Testing sqlmap -u "https://target.com/page?id=1" --batch --dump
3. Exploitation & Proof of Concept (PoC)
If a vulnerability is found, create a PoC:
XSS Payload Testing
<script>alert('XSS')</script>
Command Injection Test
; ls -la /
4. Reporting the Bug
A well-documented report includes:
- : Brief vulnerability description.
- Steps to Reproduce: Clear, numbered steps.
- Impact: Potential risk (e.g., data leakage).
- Proof: Screenshots, logs, or video.
What Undercode Say:
Bug bounty hunting requires persistence and continuous learning. Start with low-hanging fruits like:
– Misconfigurations (open S3 buckets, exposed .git folders).
– Outdated Software (WordPress plugins, CMS vulnerabilities).
– Weak Authentication (brute-forcing, default credentials).
Additional Commands for Hunters:
Check for Open S3 Buckets aws s3 ls s3://bucket-name --no-sign-request WordPress Scan wpscan --url https://target.com --enumerate p,t,u Check for Default Creds hydra -l admin -P passwords.txt target.com http-post-form "/login:user=^USER^&pass=^PASS^:F=incorrect"
Prediction:
As bug bounty programs grow, automated tools will dominate initial recon, but manual testing will remain crucial for advanced vulnerabilities. AI-assisted bug hunting may emerge, but human creativity in exploit development will stay irreplaceable.
Expected Output:
A well-structured bug report with:
- Vulnerability Name (e.g., “Reflected XSS in Search Parameter”).
2. Affected URL.
3. Steps to Reproduce.
4. Impact & Remediation.
5. Screenshots/Video Proof.
(Note: Always follow responsible disclosure policies.)
References:
Reported By: Shivangmauryaa Small – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
