Welcome, aspiring hacker! Whether you're dreaming of becoming the next ethical hacking legend or just curious about how bug bounty hunting works, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know in 2025.

From beginner basics to advanced exploitation techniques, real-world tips, and platforms to get started, this is your all-in-one bug bounty launchpad 🚀.

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📚 Table of Contents

1. What Is a Bug Bounty Program?

2. VDPs vs BBPs: Know the Difference

3. Getting Started with Bug Hunting in 2025

4. How to Report Vulnerabilities to CERT-In 🇮🇳

5. 🧪 Advanced Techniques to Level Up

6. 📝 Reporting Bugs Professionally

7. 💰 Understanding Rewards and Recognition

8. 📈 Continuous Learning and Community Growth

9. 🧑‍🎓 Real-World Case Studies

10. 🔐 Ethics, Laws & Responsible Disclosure

11. ✍️ My Personal Bug Bounty Experience

12. 📦 Bonus Section: Tools, Cheat Sheets, and Learning Resources

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🐛 1. What Is a Bug Bounty Program?

A Bug Bounty Program (BBP) is an initiative where organizations invite ethical hackers to find and report vulnerabilities in their applications, APIs, mobile apps, or infrastructure in exchange for cash rewards, swag, or public recognition. 💰🎁🏅

💡 These programs are designed to improve security by rewarding responsible disclosure and preventing malicious exploits.

Some famous companies with active bounty programs:

• Google

• Facebook

• Apple

• Tesla

• GitHub

• Government platforms (via CERT-In and others)

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⚖️ 2. VDPs vs BBPs: Know the Difference

📌 Tip: Start with VDPs to build confidence and avoid pressure, then progress to full-blown bounty programs.

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🚀 3. Getting Started with Bug Hunting in 2025

✅ Step 1: Learn the Foundations of Web & App Security

• Understand HTTP, cookies, sessions, headers, etc.

• Study the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities — XSS, SQL Injection, CSRF, IDOR, and more.

• Learn how authentication and authorization work.

🎯 Step 2: Practice with Hands-On Labs

• Use platforms like Hack The Box, TryHackMe, and PortSwigger Web Academy.

• Complete beginner-friendly challenges to build skills.

🕵️ Step 3: Choose Your Bug Bounty Platform

• Register on popular sites such as HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, and Synack.

• Start with public programs where you don’t need an invitation.

• Read program scopes carefully.

💬 Step 4: Learn from Public Writeups

• Study vulnerability writeups on platforms’ Hacktivity pages.

• Analyze how pros write reports and craft payloads.

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4. How to Report Vulnerabilities to CERT-In (India)

CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) is the official government body managing cybersecurity incidents in India. Reporting bugs on government domains can be done responsibly through CERT-In.

How to Submit Reports:

• Visit the CERT-In website: cert-in.org.in

• Send your vulnerability report to vdisclose@cert-in.org.in

• Include the following:

  • Clear and concise description of the issue

  • Exact steps to reproduce the vulnerability (PoC)

  • Affected URLs and parameters

  • Screenshots or video evidence

  • Impact and risk assessment

Important Notes:

• Always maintain ethical boundaries.

• Avoid exploiting data beyond demonstration.

• Respect confidentiality and legal rules.

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🧪 5. Advanced Techniques to Level Up Your Bug Hunting

🔗 Bug Chaining and Privilege Escalation

• Combine multiple minor bugs to escalate impact — e.g., chaining an IDOR with a session fixation flaw to take over accounts.

• Think beyond single bugs and test how different issues interact.

⏱️ Race Conditions

• Exploit timing vulnerabilities by making concurrent requests.

• Often found in transaction-based systems (banking, ecommerce).

• Requires automation and scripting for effective testing.

🌐 WebSockets and GraphQL Testing

• Intercept and manipulate WebSocket messages.

• Test GraphQL APIs for insecure queries and mutations.

• Look for insufficient authorization and unvalidated inputs.

📱 Mobile Application Testing Basics

• Use APK decompilers like jadx to analyze app code.

• Look for insecure data storage (SharedPreferences, Keychain).

• Test authentication and API security.

• Reverse engineering skills help here.

👨‍💻 Source Code Review (If Allowed)

• Some programs provide source code access.

• Look for hardcoded secrets, unsafe input handling, and insecure permissions.

• Static analysis tools can assist.

🛡️ Tips for Bypassing WAFs and Filters

• Use encoding tricks (%20, %2e, %0a) to evade signature-based WAFs.

• Obfuscate payloads with comments or alternate syntax.

• Rotate IPs and user agents to avoid rate limits.

• Try HTTP verb tampering (e.g., POST vs GET).

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📝 6. Reporting Bugs Professionally: Your Key to Success

✍️ What Makes a Good Bug Report?

• A clear, descriptive title: “Reflected XSS in search parameter”

• A concise summary of the vulnerability’s impact

• Step-by-step instructions to reproduce

• Screenshots, videos, or PoC scripts

• Suggested mitigation advice if possible

⚒️ How to Write a PoC (Proof of Concept)

• Demonstrate exactly how the bug can be triggered

• Use tools like curl commands, Burp Suite requests, or simple HTML snippets

• Keep it minimal but effective

💡 Explaining the Impact Clearly

• Explain why the bug matters — data theft? Privilege escalation? Service disruption?

• Estimate risk and possible consequences for users or the system.

🧑‍🔧 Providing Reproduction Steps & Evidence

• Detail every step precisely (click this, enter that)

• Include exact inputs and URLs

• Attach screenshots or screen recordings if possible

🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Vague or incomplete reports

• No proof of exploitability

• Overly technical language that’s hard to follow

• Reporting out-of-scope or fixed bugs

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💰 7. Understanding Rewards and Recognition in Bug Bounty Programs

💸 How Are Payouts Calculated?

• Based on severity: Critical bugs (RCE, auth bypass) pay more than low-severity (info disclosure).

• Bug uniqueness and quality of report matter.

• Program budgets and policies also influence payouts.

🏆 Factors That Affect Bounty Amounts

• Impact on confidentiality, integrity, or availability

• How easy it is to exploit

• Number of affected users or data volume

🌟 Getting Featured on Hall of Fame

• Top contributors earn public recognition on program websites.

• Can boost your professional reputation and job prospects.

⚖️ Legal Considerations and Safe Harbor

• Many platforms provide Safe Harbor - legal protection if you act in good faith.

• Always stay within the program’s scope and follow rules.

🚫 Handling Duplicate or Rejected Reports

• Understand rejection reasons and learn from feedback.

• Do not spam reports — quality over quantity.

• Keep track of reported bugs to avoid duplicates.

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📈 8. Continuous Learning and Community Growth for Bug Hunters

📢 Follow Industry Leaders on Social Media

• Twitter accounts:

  • @NahamSec

  • @LiveOverflow

  • @Stokfredrik

  • @FransRosen

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Join Bug Bounty Communities

• Reddit: r/bugbounty

• Discord groups: Bug Bounty Forum, OWASP

• HackerOne & Bugcrowd forums

🏁 Participate in Capture The Flag (CTF) Events

• Platforms: CTFTime, PicoCTF

• CTFs improve problem-solving and hacking skills under pressure.

🎓 Certifications Worth Pursuing

• OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional)

• eWPT (eLearnSecurity Web App Penetration Tester)

• eJPT (eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester)

• Burp Suite Certified Practitioner

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🧑‍🎓 9. Real-World Case Studies: Learn from the Best

📋 Analyze Real Bug Reports

• Explore HackerOne Hacktivity for live disclosed reports.

• See how pros identify, exploit, and explain bugs.

🎤 Interviews and Blogs from Top Hunters

• Read personal experiences and advice from researchers like Sean Metcalf or Shubham Shah.

🧠 Key Takeaways from Big Vulnerabilities

• Logic flaws often pay big - but they’re overlooked.

• Persistence and creativity can turn a small bug into a critical issue.

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🔐 10. Ethics, Laws & Responsible Disclosure in Bug Bounty Hunting

✅ Stay Strictly Within Scope

• Only test systems and URLs listed in the program.

• Respect exclusions such as denial-of-service or social engineering.

⚖️ Understand Legal Boundaries by Region

• Laws vary globally; know your local cyber laws.

• India’s CERT-In supports responsible disclosure within defined guidelines.

🕊️ Coordinated Disclosure Process

• Report vulnerabilities privately to vendors.

• Allow reasonable time for patches before publicizing.

🚨 Consequences of Unethical Hacking

• Account bans and blacklisting on platforms.

• Potential legal prosecution and fines.

• Damage to reputation and career.

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✍️ 11. My Personal Bug Bounty Experience

Over the past few months, I’ve mostly focused on government websites under VDPs and BBPs.
Some common vulnerabilities I reported include:

• Information disclosure (exposing sensitive data)

• Session mismanagement (cookies, authentication flaws)

• Reflected XSS

• Admin takeover via logic flaws

• Application logic bugs causing privilege escalation

Bug bounty hunting has been rewarding financially and intellectually. It has also helped me build a strong ethical hacker mindset.

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📦 12. Bonus Section: Must-Have Tools, Cheat Sheets & Learning Resources

🧰 Essential Tools

• Burp Suite (Pro or Community) — web proxy and scanner

• Nuclei — fast vulnerability scanner

• Subfinder, Amass — subdomain discovery

• Dirsearch — directory fuzzing

• Postman — API testing

📑 Cheat Sheets & Payload Collections

• PayloadsAllTheThings

• PortSwigger’s Web Security Academy cheatsheets

• Burp Suite extensions cheat guides

📚 Recommended Books & Courses

• The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook by Dafydd Stuttard

• Bug Bounty Bootcamp by Vickie Li

• Real-World Bug Hunting by Peter Yaworski

• TryHackMe, Hack The Box structured courses

👨‍💻 Bug Bounty Practice Platforms

• Hack The Box

• TryHackMe

• PortSwigger Web Academy

• HackerOne Hacktivity for inspiration

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Final Thoughts

Bug bounty hunting is a journey of continuous learning, patience, and creativity. The landscape keeps evolving — but with the right mindset and skills, anyone can turn their passion for security into a rewarding career or side hustle.

This comprehensive guide is designed to help aspiring ethical hackers and bug bounty hunters navigate the world of bug bounty programs in 2025. It covers everything from the basics of bug bounty programs and the differences between VDPs and BBPs, to advanced exploitation techniques and how to report vulnerabilities to CERT-In in India. Readers will learn how to start bug hunting, report bugs professionally, understand rewards and recognition, and engage in continuous learning. The guide offers insights into real-world case studies, ethics, and laws, and shares personal bug bounty experiences, along with essential tools, resources, and community recommendations. With a focus on practical tips and professional growth, this guide aims to serve as a launchpad for a successful journey in the bug bounty field.