Understanding Bug Bounty Duplicates: A Hacker’s Perspective

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Introduction

Bug bounty platforms like HackerOne play a crucial role in cybersecurity by incentivizing ethical hackers to report vulnerabilities. However, disputes over duplicate submissions can create friction. This article explores the dynamics of duplicate reports, their impact on bug hunters, and best practices for handling them.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand why duplicate bug reports occur in bug bounty programs.
  • Learn how to validate and escalate disputed reports effectively.
  • Discover tools and techniques to minimize duplicate submissions.

You Should Know

1. Checking for Duplicate Vulnerabilities

Command:

waybackurls target.com | grep "login" | httpx -status-code -title

What It Does:

This command checks archived URLs of a target domain for login pages and filters responses by status code and title, helping identify previously reported endpoints.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Install `waybackurls` and `httpx` using:

go install github.com/tomnomnom/waybackurls@latest 
go install github.com/projectdiscovery/httpx/cmd/httpx@latest

2. Run the command against your target domain.

  1. Compare results with known bug reports to avoid duplicates.

2. Automating Vulnerability Scanning with Nuclei

Command:

nuclei -u https://target.com -t cves/

What It Does:

Nuclei scans for known CVEs, reducing the chance of submitting a duplicate report.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Install Nuclei:

go install -v github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei/v2/cmd/nuclei@latest

2. Update templates:

nuclei -update-templates

3. Run the scan and verify findings against existing reports.

3. Querying HackerOne’s Disclosure Timeline

Command: (Manual Check)

  • Visit:
    https://hackerone.com/[bash]/policy
  • Review disclosed reports for similar vulnerabilities.

What It Does:

Helps identify if a bug has already been reported publicly.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Navigate to the target program’s policy page.

  1. Check resolved reports for patterns matching your finding.
  2. Use keywords (e.g., “XSS,” “SQLi”) to filter disclosures.

4. Using Shodan for Reconnaissance

Command:

shodan search hostname:target.com vuln:CVE-2023-1234

What It Does:

Identifies known vulnerabilities on a target’s infrastructure.

Step-by-Step Guide:

  1. Sign up for a Shodan account and get an API key.

2. Install Shodan CLI:

pip install shodan

3. Run searches to validate uniqueness before submission.

5. Cross-Referencing with Exploit-DB

Command:

searchsploit "WordPress 5.1.1"

What It Does:

Checks Exploit-DB for publicly known exploits.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Install Exploit-DB:

sudo apt install exploitdb

2. Update the database:

searchsploit -u

3. Search for exploits related to your target.

What Undercode Say

  • Key Takeaway 1: Duplicates are inevitable in bug bounty programs due to high competition and automated tools.
  • Key Takeaway 2: Proper reconnaissance and validation reduce wasted effort.

Analysis:

While frustration over duplicates is understandable, ethical hackers should focus on improving their methodology. Platforms like HackerOne prioritize the first valid report, so efficiency in discovery and reporting is key. Automation (Nuclei, Shodan) and manual checks (disclosure timelines) help avoid duplicates.

Prediction

As bug bounty programs grow, AI-driven triage systems may reduce duplicates by auto-flagging known vulnerabilities. However, human expertise will remain critical for novel exploits. Ethical hackers who refine their processes will continue to thrive.

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: R3dw4n 48m3d – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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