🐞 Bug Bounty Hunting

Bug bounty hunting is the practice of finding and reporting security vulnerabilities in software or platforms in exchange for rewards (bounties). It’s a modern, ethical way to turn hacking skills into a career.

🚀 Why Bug Bounties?

• 💰 Earn money legally for finding real-world vulnerabilities.
• 📜 Build a public reputation via platforms like HackerOne and Bugcrowd.
• 🧠 Learn advanced security concepts with real systems, not simulations.
• 📈 It’s a valid career path—even without a degree!

📋 What You’ll Need to Know

• ✔️ Strong understanding of OWASP Top 10 (XSS, SQLi, SSRF, IDOR...)
• ✔️ Hands-on with Burp Suite, browser dev tools, proxy tools
• ✔️ API testing skills (Postman, curl, REST/GraphQL knowledge)
• ✔️ Recon techniques (subdomain enum, Google Dorks, ffuf, etc.)
• ✔️ Basic scripting (Python, Bash, JavaScript)

🎯 Top Bug Bounty Platforms

• HackerOne – One of the largest platforms with big-name programs.
• Bugcrowd – Public and private programs, VRT-based submission system.
• Intigriti – European focus, pays in Euros.
• YesWeHack – France-based, growing quickly.
• Open Bug Bounty – No invite needed, XSS-focused, public leaderboard.

🧪 Where to Practice

• PortSwigger Web Security Academy – Best hands-on for web vuln.
• Hack The Box
• TryHackMe
• VulnHub – Boot2root VMs for testing offline.
• Google Gruyere – Web app made to be broken.

🛠️ Bug Hunter’s Toolkit

• 🔍 ffuf, dirsearch, gau, waybackurls
• 🌐 Burp Suite, Postman, browser dev tools
• 📜 nmap, amass, subfinder
• 🐍 Python and Bash for custom automation

📚 More Writeups & Real Reports

• HackerOne Hacktivity – Real-world public reports.
• BugBountyHunter HoF
• NahamSec YouTube – Live hacking & content.
• @bugbountytips on Twitter/X – Tips in 280 chars.

📌 Tips to Get Started

1. Start reading reports on HackerOne Hacktivity.
2. Follow Bug Bounty YouTubers (NahamSec, InsiderPhD, STÖK...)
3. Practice recon on public scopes like *.gitlab.com, *.yahoo.com (read their policy first).
4. Submit quality reports and respect scope!
5. Document your learning: write blogs, share tips, and engage with the community.

📍 Ready for tools and setup? Check out the Tools section next.