๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ ๐๐ข๐ช ๐ง๐ข ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ก๐ง๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง & ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ก๐ง๐๐ก๐ โ ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐ฅ
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐๐ด ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐?
Feeling confused about how to choose a target, what tools to use, or how to start hunting? Donโt worry โ every legendary hacker started right here, confused but curious. This post is your roadmap to going from complete beginner to confident hunter.
Letโs break down the whole process using a real-world example:
๐ธTarget: *.target.com
Letโs GO DEEP โฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธโฌ๏ธ
๐ง ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐ญ: ๐๐๐ข๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง
To legally hack anything, you need a Bug Bounty Program that allows you to test. These are usually listed on platforms like:
โ HackerOne
โ Bugcrowd
โ Intigriti
โ YesWeHack
Search for public programs with wildcard scopes (look for: *.target.com), meaning they allow testing on any subdomain of that company โ like:
๐น login.target.com
๐น admin-panel.target.com
๐น beta-api.target.com
๐น test1.target.com
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป?
โ More domains = more surface to attack
โ Forgotten subdomains are often weakly secured
โ Easier to find low-hanging fruit like old logins or exposed dev tools
๐ฅ Tip: Avoid testing outside of scope โ youโll be disqualified. Always read the rules before you begin.
๐ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ: ๐ฅ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ก๐๐ โ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐๐
๐ก๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป = ๐ป๐ผ ๐ต๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
Recon is all about discovering what the company owns online โ before you even think of attacking.
Your goal is to find: ๐ธ Subdomains
๐ธ APIs
๐ธ Hidden URLs
๐ธ Admin portals
๐ธ Login forms
๐ธ File uploaders
๐ธ Older versions of web apps
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ
Youโre not attacking yet โ youโre mapping the battlefield.
๐ฅ Example:
You find test-panel.target.com.
It has no SSL, uses a weird old login page โ no CAPTCHA, no rate limit.
Youโve just found a potential goldmine.
๐งญ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐ฏ: ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐
๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐, ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ.
Open each subdomain in your browser. Explore every page like a normal user would.
๐ Look for:
โ ๏ธ Login/Register forms
โ ๏ธ Reset password pages
โ ๏ธURLs with user IDs or file names
โ ๏ธ Upload buttons
โ ๏ธ Pages that give errors
โ ๏ธ Any mention of โadminโ, โinternalโ, โbetaโ, โtestโ
Take detailed notes:
๐ธ What features are available?
๐ธ Any cookies being set?
๐ธ What headers does it return?
๐ธ Does it reveal software version?
The better you understand the app, the more likely you are to spot something abnormal.
๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐ฐ: ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ก๐ง๐๐ก๐ โ ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฅ-๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐ฆ
Now comes the exciting part โ youโre ready to hunt.
Start with bugs that donโt need advanced tools or years of experience. These are often simple but valuable.
๐ฃ Beginner-Friendly Bugs to Hunt:
๐ IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference)
Change the ID in a URL or request to access someone else's info.
Example: change /profile?id=123 to /profile?id=124.
๐ฆ Open Redirect
Change a URL parameter to redirect users to a malicious site.
Example: /redirect?url=https://evil.com
๐งจ XSS (Cross Site Scripting)
Inject JavaScript into a search box or form that reflects back on the page.
Look for input fields that reflect your input in the pageโs source.
๐ Broken Authentication
Try to bypass login, reuse session tokens, or manipulate password resets.
๐ณ๏ธ Sensitive File Disclosure
Check if .git, .env, or backup files like db.zip are accessible.
๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ก๐ง: *.target.com
Letโs say you chose a program with scope: *.target.com.
You find: ๐ธ dev-files.target.com โ exposes directory listings
๐ธ beta-api.target.com โ returns JSON responses with user data
๐ธ admin-login.target.com โ outdated panel with default creds
๐ธ reset.target.com โ accepts password reset without email verification
You test each one carefully, find an IDOR and report it.
๐ฅ You just earned your first bounty!
๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐จ๐ก๐ง๐๐ฅ
โ Donโt skip recon โ 70% of success comes from it
โ Always respect scope and rules
โ Learn one bug class deeply before jumping to the next
โ Take notes, keep logs, build a personal hunting system
โ Celebrate small wins โ even finding 1 hidden subdomain is a win
โ Never get discouraged โ even pros fail daily
๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ: Every hacker you admire started where you are now โ unsure, curious, and hungry to learn. Donโt stop. Your first bounty is waiting.
๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ต๐ผโ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐๐ด ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฆ๐ง ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ โ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น.
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