Identifying Our Target

https://www.bugcrowd.com/

Introduction to Bugcrowd

Bugcrowd is one of the leading crowdsourced cybersecurity platforms that connects ethical hackers (a.k.a. security researchers or bug bounty hunters) with organizations looking to identify and resolve vulnerabilities in their systems. It provides a safe, legal, and structured environment for both offensive security testing and responsible disclosure.

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What Does Bugcrowd Offer?

1. Bug Bounty Programs

• Companies post live targets (web apps, APIs, mobile apps, etc.)

• Security researchers test these systems for vulnerabilities.

• Valid bugs are rewarded with monetary payouts, based on severity.

2. Vulnerability Disclosure Programs (VDPs)

• Researchers can report security issues without expecting monetary rewards.

• Helps companies stay secure and compliant.

3. Next Gen Pen Testing (NGPT)

• Structured penetration tests conducted by vetted researchers on a short-term contract basis.

• Ideal for organizations needing traditional reports, but with the agility of crowdsourced testing.

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Who Uses Bugcrowd?

• Organizations: Pay for continuous security testing, reduce risk, and improve compliance.

• Security Researchers: Hunt for bugs, earn money and reputation, and build real-world experience.

Companies like Atlassian, Tesla, Indeed, and Mastercard all run public or private programs on Bugcrowd.

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Getting Started as a Researcher

Step 1: Create a Bugcrowd Researcher Account

• Sign up at https://bugcrowd.com

• Complete your profile with skills, experience, and country (some programs are location-restricted)

Step 2: Explore Public Programs

• Start with public bug bounty or VDPs to practice.

• Read each program's scope, rules, and payout structure carefully.

Step 3: Start Hunting

• Use tools like:

  • Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP

  • Nmap, Amass

  • Dirsearch, Sublist3r

  • Custom scripts in Python or Bash

Step 4: Submit Your Reports

• Reports must include:

  • Clear reproduction steps

  • Impact explanation

  • Screenshots or POCs (proof of concept)

• Follow responsible disclosure guidelines

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Bugcrowd’s P1–P5 Severity Rating

Bugcrowd uses a priority rating scale to determine the impact of findings:

Priority	Impact Level	Example
P1	Critical	Remote Code Execution (RCE)
P2	High	SQL Injection, Auth Bypass
P3	Medium	XSS, Sensitive Info Exposure
P4	Low	CSRF, Clickjacking
P5	Informational	Version Disclosure, Best Practices

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Perks of Bugcrowd for Researchers

• Get Paid: Real money for impactful bugs.

• Gain Experience: Work on real-world systems.

• Earn Reputation: Rank on leaderboards, unlock private invites.

• Learn and Collaborate: Active community, writeups, and researcher support.

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Ethical Considerations

• Always stay within scope of the program.

• Don’t test out-of-scope targets or cause damage.

• Follow Bugcrowd’s Code of Conduct and Disclosure Guidelines.

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Pro Tip:

Start with low-hanging fruit (info disclosure, missing headers, etc.) and build your skills up to more advanced attacks (e.g., SSRF, IDOR, chained exploits).