How to Get Started with Bug Bounty Hunting

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Bug bounty hunting is a lucrative field where cybersecurity researchers identify vulnerabilities in systems and report them for rewards. Platforms like HackerOne, Bugcrowd, and Synack offer opportunities to earn money by finding security flaws. Below is a detailed guide on how to begin your bug bounty journey.

You Should Know:

1. Essential Tools for Bug Bounty Hunters

  • Burp Suite (Web vulnerability scanning)
  • OWASP ZAP (Open-source security testing tool)
  • Nmap (Network scanning) 
    nmap -sV -A target.com
  • Dirb/Dirbuster (Directory brute-forcing) 
    dirb http://target.com /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt
  • Subfinder (Subdomain enumeration) 
    subfinder -d target.com -o subdomains.txt

2. Common Vulnerabilities to Hunt For

  • SQL Injection 
    ' OR 1=1 --
  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) 
    <script>alert(1)</script>
  • Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
  • Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
  • Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)

3. Steps to Start Bug Bounty Hunting

  1. Learn the Basics – Understand OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.
  2. Set Up a Lab – Use DVWA (Damn Vulnerable Web App) for practice.
  3. Choose a Platform – Sign up on HackerOne, Bugcrowd, or Bugv.

4. Reconnaissance – Gather subdomains, endpoints, and APIs.

  1. Automate Tasks – Use tools like httprobe and waybackurls.

6. Report Responsibly – Follow disclosure policies.

4. Practice Commands for Recon

  • Finding Subdomains 
    assetfinder target.com | httprobe
  • Extracting URLs from Wayback Machine 
    waybackurls target.com | grep "=" | qsreplace '"><script>alert(1)</script>'

What Undercode Say:

Bug bounty hunting requires persistence, continuous learning, and ethical responsibility. Always follow legal guidelines and avoid unauthorized testing. The field is evolving, with AI-driven bug detection becoming more prevalent.

Prediction:

Bug bounty programs will expand, with more companies adopting crowdsourced security testing. Automation and AI will assist hunters in finding complex vulnerabilities faster.

Expected Output:

A structured bug bounty methodology with hands-on commands and vulnerability exploitation techniques.

(Note: No relevant URLs were found in the original post to include.)

References:

Reported By: Arjun Singh – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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