Your Complete Bug Bounty Guide
Starting from zero? This guide covers everything you need to know — from setting up your environment to submitting your first P1. No prior hacking experience required.
What is Bug Bounty?
Bug Bounty Explained Simply
Companies invite ethical hackers to find security vulnerabilities in their products and pay them rewards for valid findings.
The Company
Defines what can be tested (scope), sets reward amounts, and fixes vulnerabilities reported by researchers.
The Researcher (You)
Ethical hacker who tests the company's systems within the defined rules, finds vulnerabilities, and reports them professionally.
The Platform
BugRakshak manages communication, triage, payments, and dispute resolution between companies and researchers.
Learning Roadmap
8-Week Path to Your First Bug
A structured curriculum designed to take complete beginners to their first paid finding.
- What is bug bounty and how does it work?
- Understanding CVSS scoring and severity levels
- How to read a program's scope and policy
- Setting up your testing environment (Kali/Parrot OS)
- OWASP Top 10 vulnerability classes
- Basic web interception with Burp Suite
- Recon techniques: Subfinder, Amass, Shodan
- Writing your first professional report
- Choosing beginner-friendly programs
- Finding XSS vulnerabilities step-by-step
- Testing for IDOR vulnerabilities
- Submitting and following up on reports
- Advanced techniques: SSRF, XXE, SSTI
- Building your own automation tools
- Private program invitations
- Building a researcher reputation
Essential Tools
Your Security Testing Toolkit
Industry-standard tools used by professional researchers. Most are free and open-source.
Industry-standard tool for intercepting and modifying HTTP traffic. Essential for web testing.
Subdomain enumeration at scale. Discover assets in scope that aren't publicly listed.
Template-based vulnerability scanner with thousands of pre-built detection templates.
Directory and parameter fuzzing to discover hidden endpoints and parameters.
Automated SQL injection detection and exploitation. Critical for database attack testing.
Search engine for internet-connected devices. Find exposed services, cameras, and infrastructure.
Report Writing
How to Write a Winning Report
A great report can be the difference between acceptance and rejection — even for a valid vulnerability.
Always include a clear, one-sentence title describing the vulnerability type and affected component
Provide step-by-step reproduction steps that anyone can follow, not just technical experts
Include screenshots and HTTP request/response pairs as evidence
Estimate business impact — who is affected and what data/functionality is at risk?
Suggest a fix, even if it's basic — it shows professionalism
Never report duplicate submissions — always check if the same bug was already reported
Resources
Continue Learning
PortSwigger Web Security Academy
Free, hands-on labs covering every OWASP vulnerability class.
VisitHackTheBox & TryHackMe
Practice environments with gamified security challenges for all skill levels.
VisitBugRakshak Community Discord
Join our active community of 2,000+ researchers to ask questions and share findings.
VisitReady to Find Your First Bug?
Put your skills to work. Join our researcher network and start hunting on live programs today.