Recon Like a Pro: My Bug Bounty Workflow
The tools, scripts, and mindset behind efficient reconnaissance that surfaces high-impact vulnerabilities others miss.
Passive Reconnaissance
My recon workflow starts with passive information gathering that leaves no trace. I use Subfinder for subdomain enumeration, Amass for deep DNS discovery, and custom scripts to query Certificate Transparency logs. The goal is to map the entire attack surface before sending a single request to the target.
Active Enumeration
Once I have a comprehensive subdomain list, I use httpx to probe for live hosts, identify technologies, and extract page titles. Nmap scans common ports with service version detection. Nuclei templates help identify known vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and exposed panels at scale.
Content Discovery
Fuzzing with ffuf and Gobuster reveals hidden directories, API endpoints, and backup files. I maintain custom wordlists tailored to specific technologies — Spring Boot actuator endpoints for Java apps, .env files for Node.js, and .git directories for repos. These wordlists consistently find high-value targets.
Automation & Workflow
The key to efficient recon is automation. I use a custom recon pipeline that chains these tools together: subdomain discovery → live host probing → technology identification → vulnerability scanning → content discovery. New findings trigger re-evaluation, creating a continuous feedback loop.
K4L1 Security
Bug Bounty Hunter & Security Researcher
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