■ Complete Bug Bounty Hunter Learning Path
■ Part 1: Networking Basics
You must understand how data moves across the internet.
**Topics to Learn**:
1. What is an IP address, DNS, Ports, Protocols.
2. TCP vs UDP (3-way handshake, reliability).
3. HTTP/HTTPS (request, response, headers, methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE).
4. Cookies, sessions, and tokens.
5. Common status codes (200, 301, 404, 500).
6. Proxies, VPNs, firewalls.
**Practice**:
- Use Wireshark to capture traffic.
- Send requests with curl & analyze responses.
- Explore HTTP headers in Burp Suite.
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■ Part 2: Linux & OS Fundamentals
Most hacking tools run on Linux.
**Topics to Learn**:
1. File system & permissions.
2. Basic commands: ls, cd, pwd, cat, grep, chmod, chown.
3. Networking commands: ifconfig, netstat, ping, curl, wget.
4. Process management: ps, top, kill.
5. SSH basics (connecting to servers).
**Practice**:
- Play OverTheWire Bandit.
- Set up Ubuntu VM & practice commands daily.
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■ Part 3: Web Technologies
You must know how the web is built to hack it.
**Topics to Learn**:
1. HTML basics (forms, inputs, buttons).
2. CSS (structure, styling — basic only).
3. JavaScript (DOM, events, cookies, localStorage).
4. Backend basics (how servers handle requests).
5. APIs (REST, JSON, GraphQL basics).
**Practice**:
- Inspect elements using browser dev tools.
- Write a simple HTML + JS login page.
- Use fetch() in JS to call a free API.
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■ Part 4: Programming/Scripting
You don’t need to be a full developer — but scripting is essential.
**Python Basics**:
1. Variables, loops, conditions, functions.
2. File handling (read/write files).
3. HTTP requests with requests library.
4. Regex (for pattern matching).
5. Basic automation (scripts for scanning, parsing).
**Practice**:
- Write a script to brute force directories using a wordlist.
- Automate subdomain scanning with subprocess + tools.
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■ Part 5: Security Basics
Now you enter the hacking zone ■.
**Learn OWASP Top 10 Vulnerabilities**:
1. XSS (Cross-Site Scripting).
2. SQL Injection.
3. CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery).
4. SSRF (Server-Side Request Forgery).
5. RCE (Remote Code Execution).
6. IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference).
7. Broken Authentication.
8. Broken Access Control.
9. Security Misconfigurations.
10. Sensitive Data Exposure.
**Practice**:
- PortSwigger Web Security Academy (best free resource).
- DVWA (practice in local environment).
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■ Part 6: Safe Practice Environments
Before real bug bounties, train in labs.
**Platforms**:
- HackTheBox → real-world labs.
- TryHackMe → beginner-friendly labs.
- Hacker101 → bug bounty focused labs.
**Goal**: Complete at least 10 labs per vulnerability type.
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■ Part 7: Tools
Tools help, but your brain is the real weapon.
**Must-Learn Tools**:
1. Burp Suite (proxy, repeater, intruder, extender).
2. Nmap (network scanning).
3. FFUF / Dirsearch (directory brute forcing).
4. SQLmap (SQL injection automation).
5. Subfinder, Amass (subdomain discovery).
6. Nikto (basic vulnerability scanner).
**Practice**:
- Use Burp on DVWA to intercept requests.
- Scan a test server with Nmap.
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■ Part 8: Recon & Information Gathering
70% of bug bounty = recon.
**Learn to Find**:
1. Subdomains.
2. Hidden endpoints.
3. Old/deprecated APIs.
4. Open ports & services.
5. Misconfigured cloud storage.
**Tools**: Subfinder, Amass, FFUF, Gau, Waybackurls.
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■ Part 9: Reporting Like a Pro
Finding bugs ≠ reward. Good reports matter.
**Report Format**:
- Title
- Summary
- Steps to Reproduce
- Impact (why it matters)
- Suggested Fix
**Practice**:
- Write fake reports for lab vulnerabilities.
- Compare with real reports on HackerOne Hacktivity.
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■ Part 10: Advanced Topics
When you’re comfortable, level up ■.
**Advanced Areas**:
- API hacking (JWT, GraphQL, rate limits).
- Mobile app security (Android/iOS).
- Cloud security (AWS, GCP misconfigs).
- Logic flaws (business logic bypasses).
