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Exploring the Role of Port Scanning in Bug Bounty Hunting
It was a warm evening when Jake, a seasoned bug bounty hunter, received a private program invitation from a popular tech company. The challenge was clear: find vulnerabilities in their web application and earn a reward. Jake had a strategy — one that had never failed him before. He knew the first step of any successful bug bounty hunt was to uncover the digital doors and windows that could be exploited. These doors were the open ports of the application. Armed with his favorite port-scanning tools, Jake embarked on the hunt, knowing that port scanning would be the key to his success.
In the world of bug bounty hunting, port scanning plays a pivotal role in helping hunters uncover potential vulnerabilities within a target’s infrastructure. By identifying open ports and services running on those ports, bug bounty hunters can map out the attack surface of a target system. From there, they can begin exploring weaknesses, misconfigurations, and outdated services that might lead to serious security vulnerabilities.
This blog will take you on a journey to explore the role of port scanning in bug bounty hunting, the various techniques and tools used by professionals, and some best practices to keep in mind during your bug bounty adventures.
