Practical Bug Bounty: A Complete Guide to Finding & Reporting Vulnerabilities

Introduction

Bug bounty hunting has become one of the most exciting and rewarding fields in cybersecurity. Ethical hackers and security researchers worldwide participate in bug bounty programs to identify vulnerabilities in applications, report them to organizations, and earn rewards.

But what separates an average bug bounty hunter from a highly successful one?

• Deep technical knowledge of vulnerabilities
• Understanding of OWASP Top 10 & beyond
• Effective reconnaissance & testing techniques
• Crafting professional-quality reports

This guide will provide a practical, step-by-step approach to conducting bug bounty hunting, covering OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, real-world exploitation techniques, and how to write an impactful report.

Setting Up Your Bug Bounty Hunting Environment

Before you start hacking, you need the right tools. Here's a basic setup:

🔹 Essential Tools & Platforms

• Bug Bounty Platforms: HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack
• Reconnaissance Tools: Amass, Subfinder, Assetfinder