My Bug Bounty Hunting Methodology

”Every bug starts with a question: ‘What if?’”

INTRODUCTION

I’m a meticulous person — I love when things are just right. But for a while now, I’ve been asking myself: is there really such a thing as the perfect bug bounty hunting methodology? I mean have you ever wondered the same?

Hey there, welcome back! I’m so glad you’re here again, especially if you read the last chapter. Your support means a lot to me. In this chapter, I’ll be sharing my personal bug bounty hunting methodology — the way I stay organized and get things done. Whether you’re just starting out or want to improve your skills, I hope you’ll find something helpful here. Let’s get into it!

RECONNAISSANCE AND INFORMATION GATHERING

When I start a bug bounty hunt, I always begin with passive information gathering. This just means I try to find out what information is already out there about the target. I don’t go in without knowing anything. I like to check websites like Crunchbase, W3Tech, and MXToolbox to get an idea of what the website is about and see what info is out there.

Next, I move on to subdomain enumeration. I usually use Subfinder because it gets the job done for me.
PS: I’ve added a few extra API keys to help pull as many subdomains as possible. It’s a simple trick, but it works!

I don’t go overboard with dorking. While doing it manually is fine, I recently found a tool that automates the process. It saves me time and effort, but Google often block my IP address after a while due to too many request.

During recon, I focus on finding sensitive information. I try not to get carried away with things that don’t lead anywhere by sticking to what’s useful. If something doesn’t look interesting to me, I move on.

Recon is really important in bug bounty hunting, but it’s about finding a balance. I try not to overdo it and keep things simple. For me, recon is all about finding sensitive information.

VULNERABILITY SCANNING AND TESTING

When I get to this phase, I like to keep it hands-on and do most of it manually. I start by setting up my favorite proxy listener, Burp Suite — we all love it! Then, I click around the website to see what’s working and what isn’t. I look for things like problems with login (authentication and authorization), broken business logic, issues with session management, client-side bugs, and problems with data validation. These are usually easy to spot, and XSS is always a fun one to find!

I don’t use automation much, but if I need to speed things up or try something different, I’ll use tools like Katana or Nuclei. They give me a good heads-up faster, but I still prefer doing things manually to get a better idea of how the site works myself.

While I’m at it, I also do a little active recon, mainly looking for hidden paths or files. For this, I use tools like ffuf and dirsearch. Content discovery is one of those things I really love because I’m always happy when I find directories that look interesting — especially the sensitive ones. It’s like a treasure hunt, and finding hidden things always feels great!

EXPLOITING VULNERABILITY

Scanning and exploiting vulnerabilities often go hand in hand, so I focus on one at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. For example, when testing for XSS (Cross-Site Scripting), I first check if my inputs are reflected on the page. If they are, I start testing different payloads to see how the app handles them — whether it filters or allows them. This helps me figure out what works and what doesn’t.

I use the same approach for other vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, CSRF (Cross Site Request Forgery), Broken Authentication, or IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference). I take my time to understand how each one behaves and what triggers it. It’s about being patient and methodical.
PS: I’m not a fan of testing SQL Injection manually — it’s a bit tricky for me.

When I find something that could be vulnerable, I go straight into testing to see if it can be exploited just to prove that the vulnerability exists and showing how an attacker could exploit it. Once I’ve exploited the vulnerability, I document everything: what I did, the potential impact, and how to fix it.

REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION

When it comes to reporting what I find, I try to keep things clear and simple. After finding a vulnerability, I take notes on what I did and how I found it. I want anyone reading my report to understand exactly what happened.

First, I explain what the vulnerability is, where it’s located, and how it can be triggered. For example, if I find an XSS bug, I’ll say where it shows up on the site and how I tested it. I also make sure to show how an attacker could use the bug to cause harm.

Next, I talk about the impact of the vulnerability. This part is important because it shows why the problem matters. For example, with XSS, an attacker could steal user info or do something harmful.

Lastly, I give recommendations on how to fix the problem. I try to keep it simple and clear — like suggesting to clean up user inputs or fix access control settings. The goal is to help the team understand what needs to be done.

I make sure my report is easy to read and free from confusing technical terms. It’s all about showing what I found, why it’s a problem, and how to fix it. In the end, I just want to help make the site more secure.

CONCLUSION

In this guide, I’ve shared my approach to bug bounty hunting, focusing on the parts that work best for me. I didn’t cover everything because some methods aren’t my style. What I shared is what I find most helpful in my journey. If you’re looking for more, the OWASP Testing Guide is an excellent resource to check out.

Thank you for reading, don’t forget to follow me and subscribe so you don’t miss out on the next chapters. If you have any questions, ask in the comment section and I will reply to you. If you’d like to support my journey, you can Buy Me a Coffee.

“Don’t learn to hack, hack to learn.”

CHAPTER FIVE: How I test for Cross Site Scripting.