Bug Bounty Roadmap

[ TERMINAL READY ]

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> System requires authentication to initialize terminal...

♪ Audio enabled for immersive terminal experience

[!] Let's Be Honest

### The Reality Check ###

> cat /var/log/reality.txt | What nobody tells you when you're starting out

[WARN] sys.init

💸

You Don't Need Expensive Courses

Everything you need is available for free. PortSwigger Academy, YouTube tutorials, documentation. Save your money for a good setup.

[INFO] time.wait

⏳

Your First Bounty Takes Time

Months, not days. The hunters you see earning big started years ago. Focus on learning, not earning—at first.

[STAT] ratio.calc

📊

90% Learning, 10% Earning

Most of your time will be spent learning new techniques, reading writeups, and practicing in labs. That's normal.

[STOP] compare.deny

🚫

Stop Comparing Bounties

Someone's $10k bounty doesn't diminish your $50 one. Everyone's journey is different. Celebrate your wins.

[DUPE] learn.mode

📝

Duplicates Are Learning

Getting a duplicate hurts, but it means you're finding real bugs. Learn from it, refine your approach, move faster next time.

[OK] habit.build

🔄

Consistency Beats Intensity

1 hour daily beats 10 hours once a week. Build the habit. Show up every single day, even when motivation fades.

$ Pro Hunter Tips

=== The Hunter's Mindset ===

> man hunter_methodology | What separates successful hunters from the rest

cmd_01

One Target, 100+ Hours

Pick ONE program. Learn it inside out. Map every endpoint, understand every feature. Depth beats breadth. Don't hop between targets.

[TIP] Become the expert on YOUR target

$ focus --target=single --hours=100+

cmd_02

Read Reports Daily

HackerOne Hacktivity is your daily newspaper. Read disclosed reports every single day. Understand what gets paid, how it's written, what the impact is.

[TIP] Set a daily goal: 5 reports minimum

$ crontab -e "0 9 * * * read_reports"

cmd_03

Take Proper Notes

Document everything. Every technique, every bypass, every failed attempt. Your notes are your second brain. Use Notion, Obsidian, or plain text.

[TIP] Create a personal methodology document

$ vim ~/notes/methodology.md

cmd_04

Read Writeups Religiously

Study how others found bugs. Pentester Land, Medium, personal blogs. Understand the thought process, not just the payload.

[TIP] Bookmark and categorize great writeups

$ curl -s writeups.io | grep -i "critical"

cmd_05

Don't Get Distracted

New programs look shiny. Resist the urge to jump. Scattered effort = zero results. Finish what you started. Master before moving.

[TIP] Block new program announcements if needed

$ kill -9 $(pgrep distractions)

cmd_06

Quality Over Quantity

One well-written report beats ten rushed ones. Understand the impact, explain clearly, provide solid PoC. Make triagers' lives easy.

[TIP] Study top-rated public reports

$ report --quality=max --poc=detailed

cmd_07

Learn From Rejections

N/A? Duplicate? Info? Ask why. Understand the reasoning. Every rejection teaches you something. Keep a lessons-learned log.

[TIP] Track all your submissions and outcomes

$ tail -f /var/log/rejections.log

cmd_08

Build Your Methodology

Don't copy checklists blindly. Build your own based on what works for YOU. Test it, refine it, evolve it. Make it yours.

[TIP] Update it after every finding

$ ./build_methodology.sh --iterate

[>>>] The Path

|-| Learning Roadmap |-|

> ./roadmap.sh --start=zero --end=hunter | All with free resources

Networking & Web Fundamentals

[2-4 weeks]

Understand how the internet works. HTTP/HTTPS, DNS, TCP/IP, and web technologies are your foundation.

MDN HTTP Overview Networking Basics (YT) W3Schools HTML/CSS/JS Learn PHP Python Tutorial Bash Scripting

>>> PIPE TO STAGE 2 >>>

Web Application Security

[3-6 weeks]

Learn how web apps break. OWASP Top 10 is your bible. Understand each vulnerability class deeply.

OWASP Top 10 Hacksplaining Web Security Course Awesome Bug Bounty

>>> PIPE TO STAGE 3 >>>

Master Reconnaissance

[2-3 weeks]

Recon is 80% of the job. Learn to find hidden subdomains, endpoints, and attack surface others miss.

Recon for Bug Bounties ReconFTW OWASP Amass

>>> PIPE TO STAGE 4 >>>

Vulnerability Discovery

[Ongoing]

XSS, SQLi, SSRF, IDOR, CSRF—learn to find and exploit them. PortSwigger Academy is your best friend here.

⭐ PortSwigger Academy Hacker101 Web Vulns Playlist

>>> PIPE TO STAGE 5 >>>

Tool Mastery

[2-4 weeks]

Learn your tools inside out. Burp Suite is essential. But also know when to build your own.

Burp Suite (Hindi) Burp Suite (English) OWASP ZAP Tutorial Top BB Tools

>>> PIPE TO STAGE 6 >>>

Advanced Techniques

[Ongoing]

Mobile security, API testing, source code review, advanced recon. Never stop leveling up.

Advanced BB Hunting NahamSec Resources STÖK (Advanced) InsiderPhD Series

>>> PIPE TO STAGE 7 >>>

Practice, Practice, Practice

[Forever]

Theory without practice is useless. CTFs, labs, and real programs. Get your hands dirty.

Hack The Box TryHackMe 400+ Free THM Rooms Hacker101 CTF PentesterLab CTFTime

>>> HUNTER_MODE_ACTIVATED >>>

[*] Arsenal

<< Essential Tools >>

> ls -la /usr/share/tools/ | Your weapons of choice—most are free and open source

🔥

Burp Suite

The #1 web vulnerability scanner. Community edition is free.

Essential

⚡

Caido

Modern, fast alternative to Burp. Beautiful GUI.

Proxy

☢️

Nuclei

High-performance vulnerability scanner with templates.

Scanner

📡

Nmap

Network discovery and security auditing.

Recon

💉

SQLMap

Automated SQL injection and database takeover.

Exploitation

🔍

Sublist3r

Fast subdomain enumeration tool.

Recon

🕸️

OWASP Amass

Advanced network mapping and asset discovery.

Recon

🎯

Metasploit

World's most used penetration testing framework.

Framework

[>] Level Up

:: Practice Platforms ::

> ./train --mode=hands_on | Knowledge without practice is useless. Get your hands dirty.

⭐ Start Here

[@] Learn From The Best

> nmap -sn hunter_network | These hunters share real knowledge. Follow them, study their work.

NahamSec

Streams live hacking, beginner-friendly content, created Resources for Beginners repo

ACTIVE

STÖK

High-quality YouTube content, motivational, focuses on mindset and methodology

ACTIVE

InsiderPhD

Academic approach, great for beginners, "Zero to Hero" series

ACTIVE

Jason Haddix

Recon god. His methodology talks are legendary. Must-watch for recon.

ACTIVE

TomNomNom

Tool creator (waybackurls, gf, httprobe). Learn from his simple, powerful tools.

ACTIVE

Bugcrowd

Platform account with great tips, LevelUp conferences, and hunter spotlights

ACTIVE

Frans Rosén

Deep technical writeups, innovative attack chains, creative exploitation

ACTIVE

Albina Safonova

Great writeups on complex vulns, API security specialist

ACTIVE

Patrick Hudak

Great at chains, hosts Bug Bounty Podcast, shares methodologies

ACTIVE

Justin Gardner (Rhynorater)

Critical Thinking Podcast, advanced techniques, automation

ACTIVE

Intigriti

Weekly challenges, educational content, great community

ACTIVE

Sam Curry

Insane API/auth bugs, massive payouts, detailed blog posts

ACTIVE

[db] Resources

/* Curated Learning Materials */

> SELECT * FROM resources WHERE price = 'free' | The best free resources. No paid courses needed.

📖 Documentation Essential

PortSwigger Web Security Academy

THE gold standard. Free labs for every vulnerability. Complete this before anything else.

> access --start

📖 Documentation Essential

OWASP Testing Guide

Comprehensive testing methodology. Reference this when building your own approach.

> read --guide

📖 Documentation Reference

HackTricks

Massive wiki of hacking techniques. Bookmark this. You'll use it constantly.

> browse --wiki

✍️ Writeups Learn

Pentester Land Writeups

Curated collection of the best bug bounty writeups. Study these religiously.

> read --writeups

✍️ Writeups HackerOne

HackerOne Disclosed Reports

Real vulnerabilities, real reports. See what actually gets paid.

> view --hacktivity

✍️ Blog Advanced

PortSwigger Research

Cutting-edge research from the Burp Suite team. New techniques published here first.

> read --research

🐙 GitHub Beginner

NahamSec's Resources for Beginners

Curated list specifically for people just starting out. Start here.

> git clone

🐙 GitHub Payloads

PayloadsAllTheThings

Massive payload repository for every vulnerability type. Essential reference.

> get --payloads

🐙 GitHub Wordlists

SecLists

The wordlist collection. Usernames, passwords, directories, subdomains—everything.

> download --seclists

🐙 GitHub Awesome

Awesome Bug Bounty

Curated list of programs, tools, writeups, and resources.

> view --list

🎥 Video Course Hindi

Bug Bounty Free Training

Complete Bug Bounty course with live lectures. More classes being added regularly.

> play --watch

🎥 Video Course Hindi

Bug Hunting Course (74+ Lectures)

Comprehensive course covering everything from basics to advanced.

> play --watch

🎥 YouTube English

LiveOverflow

Deep technical content. CTF walkthroughs, exploit development, security research.

> play --watch

🎥 YouTube English

John Hammond

CTFs, malware analysis, and security tutorials. Great for building fundamentals.

> play --watch

🎥 YouTube English

IppSec

Hack The Box walkthroughs. Learn methodology by watching a pro work.

> play --watch

🎙️ Podcast Listen

Critical Thinking - Bug Bounty Podcast

Justin Gardner and Joel Margolis discuss techniques, news, and interviews.

> listen --now

[!] Stay Strong

!!! When You Want to Quit !!!

> cat /etc/motivation.conf | Remember why you started

root@motivation:~#

"The only way to become a master is to stay a student."

Every challenge, every bounty, and every setback is an opportunity to learn something new.

root@motivation:~#

"Exploits are hidden in plain sight—find the gaps, and you'll find the rewards."

Most people stop just before they find that critical vulnerability. Keep going when others quit!

root@motivation:~#

"If it was easy, everyone would do it."

It's a battle of wits, and only the most persistent win.

root@motivation:~#

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."

— Winston Churchill

[BROADCAST] SYSTEM MESSAGE

Your Effort Today = A Zero-Day Tomorrow

Every time you're up late at night staring at code, testing payloads, or digging through HTTP responses, you're inching closer to finding that critical vulnerability that could change your life.

Keep hacking, keep learning, and never give up. The rewards are out there waiting for you.

> TRANSMISSION_COMPLETE

### The Reality Check ###

You Don't Need Expensive Courses

Your First Bounty Takes Time

90% Learning, 10% Earning

Stop Comparing Bounties

Duplicates Are Learning

Consistency Beats Intensity

=== The Hunter's Mindset ===

One Target, 100+ Hours

Read Reports Daily

Take Proper Notes

Read Writeups Religiously

Don't Get Distracted

Quality Over Quantity

Learn From Rejections

Build Your Methodology

|-| Learning Roadmap |-|

Networking & Web Fundamentals

Web Application Security

Master Reconnaissance

Vulnerability Discovery

Tool Mastery

Advanced Techniques

Practice, Practice, Practice

<< Essential Tools >>

Burp Suite

Caido

Nuclei

Nmap

SQLMap

Sublist3r

OWASP Amass

Metasploit

:: Practice Platforms ::

PortSwigger Academy

Hack The Box

TryHackMe

Hacker101 CTF

PentesterLab

CTFTime

{{ Hunters to Follow }}

/* Curated Learning Materials */

PortSwigger Web Security Academy

OWASP Testing Guide

HackTricks

Pentester Land Writeups

HackerOne Disclosed Reports

PortSwigger Research

NahamSec's Resources for Beginners

PayloadsAllTheThings

SecLists

Awesome Bug Bounty

Bug Bounty Free Training

Bug Hunting Course (74+ Lectures)

LiveOverflow

John Hammond

IppSec

Critical Thinking - Bug Bounty Podcast

!!! When You Want to Quit !!!

Your Effort Today = A Zero-Day Tomorrow