🧱 Module 1: Introduction to Bug Bounties

• What is a Bug Bounty?

• History and evolution of bug bounty programs

• How bug bounty platforms work (HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Synack, etc.)

• Legal & ethical hacking principles

• Hacker mindset vs malicious hacker

💻 Module 2: Setting Up Your Environment

• Required OS: Kali Linux / Parrot OS / Windows Subsystem for Linux

• Essential tools: Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Postman, Nmap, etc.

• Browser configurations and extensions for bug hunting

• Using Virtual Machines and VPNs safely

🌐 Module 3: Web Application Fundamentals

• How the web works (HTTP, DNS, cookies, sessions, etc.)

• Understanding client-server architecture

• Overview of common technologies (HTML, JavaScript, PHP, SQL)

🔍 Module 4: Information Gathering & Reconnaissance

• Passive vs Active Recon

• Tools: Amass, Subfinder, Assetfinder, Nuclei, Waybackurls

• DNS enumeration, WHOIS lookup, subdomain brute-forcing

• Discovering hidden endpoints & directories

🛠️ Module 5: Vulnerability Discovery

• Manual vs Automated testing

• Testing for:

  • Authentication & Authorization flaws

  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

  • SQL Injection

  • Command Injection

  • Open Redirect

  • CSRF

  • Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)

  • File Upload Vulnerabilities

  • Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

  • CORS Misconfigurations

• Real-world examples and writeups

📦 Module 6: API Testing

• Understanding REST & GraphQL APIs

• Common API vulnerabilities

• Tools: Postman, Burp, GraphQL Voyager

• Testing for:

  • Broken object level authorization

  • Rate limiting issues

  • Mass assignment

  • JWT flaws

📱 Module 7: Mobile Application Bug Bounties

• Android vs iOS security models

• Mobile recon tools: MobSF, APKTool, Jadx

• Common mobile vulnerabilities

• API interactions from mobile apps

🔐 Module 8: Advanced Exploitation Techniques

• Chaining vulnerabilities

• Exploiting Race Conditions

• Business Logic Errors

• Web Cache Poisoning

• Prototype Pollution

• DOM-based XSS

📝 Module 9: Reporting & Communication

• Writing impactful reports

  • Clear reproduction steps

  • Screenshots & POCs

  • Suggested mitigations

• Communicating with security teams

• Report templates & platforms (HackerOne, Bugcrowd, etc.)

• Avoiding duplicate submissions

🎯 Module 10: Real-World Practice & CTFs

• Platforms:

  • HackerOne Hacktivity

  • Bugcrowd public programs

  • PortSwigger Web Security Academy

  • TryHackMe / HackTheBox

  • PentesterLab

• Writeups analysis and methodology building

• Practice challenges

🚀 Module 11: Scaling Your Bug Hunting Career

• Building a personal methodology

• Time management & automation

• Responsible disclosure programs

• Personal branding: blogs, writeups, Twitter/X presence

• Legal considerations and NDA issues

🔚 Final Capstone Project

• End-to-end bug bounty simulation

• Recon → Exploitation → Report submission