Intro
I’ve worked with a few cybersecurity teams specializing in bug bounty vulnerability management. Bug bounty triage is a unique discipline within cybersecurity. Although you’re still operating on the defensive side of the red team ecosystem, the work closely resembles that of a traditional Security Operations Center (SOC).
In fact, bug bounty triage is often considered a SOC function because you spend much of your time handling tickets and managing incoming reports. The key difference is that instead of investigating security alerts, you’re reviewing bug bounty submissions. In a sense, you’re no longer wearing your hacker hat.
I’ve stepped away from the bug bounty triage field due to burnout. However, I can still offer a few tips to aspiring bug bounty hunters on how to write valid and acceptable reports.
Secrets to Finding a Valid Bug
I’ve seen every type of bug bounty report imaginable, from excellent to horrible. I’m not going to share details about the specific programs I’ve worked on, mainly because of NDAs. Besides, I’d rather not wake up to a flood of emails from bug bounty hunters asking for payloads, program details, or updates on their out-of-scope reports.
But you may be wondering, what’s the secret to finding valid bugs and earning those juicy bounties. Is it the payload? No. It’s more than that.
Believe it or not, most of the payloads I’ve seen are surprisingly simple. In fact, while triaging reports from well-known security researchers, I noticed a common denominator: reconnaissance and consistency.
Reconnaissance
Tip #1: Avoid a haphazard approach in your reconnaissance.
Never, ever half-ass your recon. Seriously. Don’t just copy and paste every in-scope subdomain into your favorite scanner and hope something sticks. Be methodical.
For example, if Wappalyzer shows that a host is running on Google Cloud, don’t waste your time bombarding it with AWS-specific SSRF payloads simply because the application returns an HTTP 200 OK response. Understand the target first, then tailor your testing accordingly.
Tip #2: Read and follow the program rules.
This is where most newbies make mistakes and end up getting banned from bug bounty platforms. Before running your tests, always take the time to review the program rules.
A lot of the low-hanging fruits in penetration tests are often considered non-qualifying issues in bug bounty programs. Additionally, be mindful of the number of requests you send, especially when testing production environments. The goal is to avoid causing unnecessary inconvenience to legitimate users of the applications or systems you are testing.
Tip #3: Demonstrate impact.
I’ve received countless reports about vulnerabilities that are not realistically exploitable, such as Self-XSS, to the point where it honestly becomes exhausting. lol.
Remember, in bug bounty, you need to demonstrate the real-world impact of the issue you are reporting. Finding a potential vulnerability is only the first step; you need to prove how it can affect other users, the application, or the business.
For example, if you find an XSS vulnerability, make sure it is not just a Self-XSS. Because seriously, how can an attacker leverage it against another user if the only person who can execute the payload is the person performing the action themselves?
Tip #4: No matter what happens, just keep on hacking.
Some days, you win. Some days, you lose. That’s okay. If your reports keep getting marked as duplicates, don’t lose heart. You are on the right track. It means you are doing something right. The only difference is that another researcher submitted the same finding before you did.
If this keeps happening, give automation a chance. Learn how to automate parts of your workflow so you can manage your time more effectively. Before well-known bug bounty hunters earned their juicy bounties, they also experienced countless duplicate reports. The difference is that they kept grinding.
They refined their approach. They stayed consistent with hunting, but they were also pragmatic enough to adapt their methodology when it was no longer effective.