Cracking WordPress Security with WPScan: A Bug Bounty Hunter’s Journey ️️‍♂️

As a cybersecurity enthusiast and bug bounty hunter, one of my favorite tools in my toolkit is WPScan — a powerful, open-source vulnerability scanner specifically built for WordPress. If you’re into web hacking or bug bounty hunting, chances are you’ve come across a WordPress website at least once. Let me tell you, when you do, WPScan is your best friend. Here’s a glimpse into my journey with this incredible tool and how it helps me find security flaws in WordPress sites.

For those who are new to this, WPScan is like a detective that digs deep into WordPress websites to reveal vulnerabilities. It checks for things like:

Outdated plugins and themes (📦🔑)Insecure configurations (🔧)Known vulnerabilities (⚠️)Weak passwords for user accounts (🔓)

Think of it as a “Swiss Army Knife” for WordPress security, but laser-focused on making sure you’re not leaving any doors or windows open for attackers.

I remember my first bug bounty project where I faced a WordPress website. I thought, “This will be easy,” but oh boy, was I wrong! WordPress has its quirks, especially when the admin neglects to update plugins or forgets to secure login pages. That’s where WPScan came to the rescue.

I started with the basic command:

This command does a quick check of the site, but I quickly realized how much more it could do. With additional flags, I could scan for plugins, enumerate users, and even check for passwords that are too weak. For instance:bashwpscan --url http://example.com --enumerate p

This little command listed all the installed plugins on the site! 📃 You’d be surprised how often websites have vulnerable plugins that haven’t been updated in years. Jackpot! 🎰

I was once tasked with finding vulnerabilities on a WordPress website as part of a bug bounty challenge. After a basic scan, WPScan pointed out several outdated plugins, one of which had a known vulnerability that allowed for remote code execution (RCE).

I dug deeper and realized that the website admin hadn’t applied security patches. With some quick research on the identified vulnerability, I crafted an exploit and BOOM 💥 — remote access to the server was achieved! Not only did I report this issue to the admin, but I also scored a solid bug bounty payout. 🤑

The best part? WPScan did 90% of the work for me, all I had to do was interpret the results and get creative with my approach.

Another amazing feature of WPScan is its ability to brute-force WordPress logins. Now, don’t get me wrong, brute-forcing is a last resort in ethical hacking, but when you’re legally allowed (during a bounty hunt or with the owner’s permission), it can be quite the game-changer.

wpscan --url http://example.com --passwords /path/to/wordlist.txt --usernames admin

magine my excitement when I cracked the admin’s password on a low-security WordPress site, just because they used “admin123” as their password. Always remember: Never underestimate the power of a strong password! 🛡️

Here’s why WPScan stands out to me:

It’s fast 🏃‍♂️ — Even with large sites, WPScan scans quickly and efficiently.It’s comprehensive 🌐 — It checks plugins, themes, users, and more.It’s community-driven 💪 — Regular updates ensure that it has the latest information on vulnerabilities.It’s easy to use 🤖 — Even for beginners, WPScan’s commands are straightforward.

I’ve customized WPScan to integrate with my scripts for an even more powerful punch. By feeding the output into other tools, I can automate the vulnerability verification process. Combining WPScan with tools like Burp Suite for further exploitation or SQLmap for database attacks turns me into a hacking machine. 🔥

Update your WordPress site regularly — Outdated plugins and themes are an open invitation for hackers.Use strong passwords — Don’t let “admin123” be the reason your site gets compromised.Automate where you can — WPScan makes it easy to automate scans on a schedule. Why wait for a hacker to find your flaws when you can find them first?

If you’re a bug bounty hunter or even just a curious web enthusiast, WPScan should be part of your toolkit. It’s a must-have for anyone looking to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in WordPress sites.

So, the next time you find yourself staring at a WordPress login page, don’t just scroll past — fire up WPScan, and you might just find the vulnerability that wins you a bounty. 🎯

Let’s continue hacking responsibly and keep the web a safer place, one WPScan at a time! 💪🔐