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Introduction:
Bug bounty programs have become a critical component of modern cybersecurity defense, allowing organizations to crowdsource security testing from a global community of ethical hackers. The recent expansion of the “Eternal Bug Bounty Program” to include Zomato’s MCP server and increase rewards for other targets signals a growing corporate commitment to proactive security. This article provides a technical deep dive into the tools and methodologies hackers use to approach such programs.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the core components of a modern bug bounty hunting workflow.
- Learn essential reconnaissance and vulnerability scanning techniques for web applications and servers.
- Master the use of command-line tools for API analysis, subdomain enumeration, and server probing.
You Should Know:
1. Initial Reconnaissance with Subfinder and Amass
Reconnaissance is the first and most critical phase of bug bounty hunting. It involves mapping out the target’s external attack surface.
`subfinder -dL domains.txt -o subdomains.txt`
`amass enum -passive -d blinkit.com -o amass_output.txt`
Step-by-step guide:
Subfinder is a passive subdomain discovery tool. The command `-dL` takes a list of domains from a file, and `-o` saves the results. Amass, in its passive mode (-passive), gathers intelligence from various data sources without directly interacting with the target. Combine the outputs, sort for unique entries, and you have a comprehensive list of subdomains to target. Always check the program’s scope to ensure you are only testing authorized assets.
2. Probing for Live Hosts and Web Services
With a list of subdomains, the next step is to identify which are active and what services they are running.
`httpx -l subdomains.txt -title -status-code -tech-detect -o live_hosts.json`
`naabu -list subdomains.txt -top-ports 1000 -verify -o naabu_ports.txt`
Step-by-step guide:
Httpx is a fast HTTP toolkit. The flags -title, -status-code, and `-tech-detect` provide valuable information about each live host, such as the web page title, HTTP status code, and underlying technologies (e.g., WordPress, React, Nginx). Naabu is a port scanner. Using `-top-ports 1000` and `-verify` ensures you check the most common ports and confirm they are open. This data helps prioritize targets based on interesting technologies or uncommon open ports.
3. Automated Vulnerability Scanning with Nuclei
Nuclei uses a vast community-powered database of templates to scan for known vulnerabilities quickly.
`nuclei -l live_hosts.txt -t /nuclei-templates/ -o nuclei_scan_results.txt -stats`
`nuclei -u https://api.district.com -t /nuclei-templates/exposures/ -exclude-templates /nuclei-templates/exposures/configs/`
Step-by-step guide:
The first command runs Nuclei against all live hosts (-l) using all available templates (-t). The `-stats` flag provides a real-time update on the scan progress. The second command targets a specific API endpoint, focusing only on templates related to information exposure, while excluding checks for config files. This demonstrates targeted scanning. Always run Nuclei with a rate limit (-rl 150) to avoid overwhelming the target’s servers.
4. API Security Testing with Kiterunner and Arjun
APIs, especially those like Zomato’s MCP server, are prime targets for bug hunters.
`kr scan https://api.blinkit.com -w api_routes.txt -x 20 -j -o kr_scan.json`
`arjun -u https://target.com/endpoint –get`
Step-by-step guide:
Kiterunner (kr) is built to brute-force API endpoints. The `-w` flag specifies a wordlist of common API paths, and `-x 20` sets the concurrency level. Arjun is a tool for discovering hidden HTTP parameters. The `–get` flag specifies the HTTP method. For API testing, focus on authentication flaws (broken object-level authorization, mass assignment), data exposure, and injection flaws against all discovered endpoints and parameters.
5. Server-Side Injection Testing
Injection flaws remain a top vulnerability. Testing for them requires precise payloads.
`sqlmap -u “https://blinkit.com/item?id=1” –batch –level=3 –risk=2`
`ffuf -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt -u https://district.com/FUZZ -e .php,.bak,.old -mc 200,403`
Step-by-step guide:
Sqlmap automates the process of detecting and exploiting SQL injection flaws. The `–batch` flag runs non-interactively, while `–level` and `–risk` adjust the depth of the tests. Ffuf is a fast web fuzzer. Here, it’s used to fuzz for hidden files and directories. The `-e` flag adds extensions to each word in the wordlist, and `-mc` tells ffuf to only show responses with status codes 200 (OK) or 403 (Forbidden), which are often interesting.
6. Analyzing JavaScript for Hidden Secrets
Modern web applications ship vast amounts of client-side JavaScript, which can contain hardcoded secrets and hidden endpoints.
`subjs -i live_hosts.txt | tee jsfiles.txt`
`cat jsfiles.txt | waybackurls | grep “\.js$” | uro | uniq > all_js_urls.txt`
Step-by-step guide:
Subjs extracts JavaScript file paths from a list of URLs. The output is piped to `tee` to save and display it. Then, `waybackurls` fetches historical URLs from the Wayback Machine, filtering for JavaScript files. `Uro` is a tool for filtering unique URLs. The final list can be downloaded and analyzed manually or with tools like `LinkFinder` to find API keys, cloud storage URLs, and new endpoints.
7. Cloud Infrastructure Hardening Check
Understanding the target’s cloud setup can reveal misconfigurations. Use these commands to analyze your own or (ethically) discovered targets.
`aws s3 ls s3://bucket-name/ –no-sign-request` Tests for bucket misconfiguration
`nmap -sV –script ssh2-enum-algos,ssh-auth-methods -p 22 target_ip` SSH service interrogation
Step-by-step guide:
The AWS CLI command attempts to list the contents of an S3 bucket without authentication (--no-sign-request). If successful, it indicates a critical misconfiguration. The Nmap command probes an SSH server on port 22, using scripts to enumerate supported encryption algorithms and authentication methods. Weak algorithms or support for password-based authentication could be points of interest for a report if the program’s scope includes infrastructure testing.
What Undercode Say:
- Scope is Paramount: The single most important rule in bug bounty hunting is to stay within the defined scope. Testing unauthorized domains or using aggressive techniques can lead to disqualification or legal trouble.
- Depth Over Breadth: While automated tools generate a lot of noise, a successful hunter spends time manually probing a single feature or endpoint in depth, understanding the business logic, and thinking like an attacker.
The expansion of high-value bounty programs reflects a mature understanding that security is an ongoing process, not a one-time audit. For ethical hackers, this represents a significant opportunity, but it also raises the bar. Success will increasingly depend on a hunter’s ability to chain together complex vulnerabilities and demonstrate real-world impact, moving beyond simple scanner results. The focus on specific servers like Zomato’s MCP indicates a trend towards API and backend service security, which will be the primary battleground for the next few years.
Prediction:
The integration of AI into bug bounty platforms will revolutionize the field. We predict the emergence of AI-powered hunting assistants that can correlate data from multiple scans, suggest novel attack vectors based on application context, and even draft initial vulnerability reports. This will lower the barrier to entry for new hunters but will also force platforms and organizations to develop more sophisticated AI-based triage systems to handle the increased volume and complexity of submissions. The “human element” of creative exploitation will become the ultimate differentiator.
🎯Let’s Practice For Free:
IT/Security Reporter URL:
Reported By: Noorhacks Bugbounty – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
