Methodology for Bug Bounty Hunters to move from Recon to Manual Testing (FREE Members-Only Video)

Introduction

This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide for bug bounty hunters to transition from reconnaissance to manual testing. It outlines essential concepts in threat modeling and their applications in identifying vulnerabilities within applications. Understanding these methodologies will enhance your skills and effectiveness in the bug bounty hunting process.

Step 1: Understand Threat Modeling

• Definition: Threat modeling is a structured approach to identifying and prioritizing potential threats to an application.
• Purpose: It helps in understanding potential security issues before they become problems.
• Key Components:
  • App Purpose: Determine the application's primary function.
  • Architecture: Understand the architecture, including how components interact.

Step 2: Prepare Your Threat Model

• Identify Mechanisms and Trust Boundaries:

  • Mechanisms: Identify the security mechanisms in place (e.g., authentication, authorization).
  • Trust Boundaries: Analyze where data and control flow across boundaries that might be less secure.

• Notable Objects:

  • List objects within the application that hold significant value, such as user data or configuration settings.

• Security Controls:

  • Document current security controls in place to protect against threats.

Step 3: Identify Crown Jewels and Nightmare Scenarios

• Crown Jewels: Pinpoint the most valuable assets within the application that, if compromised, could lead to severe consequences.
• Nightmare Scenarios: Consider hypothetical scenarios that could lead to significant security breaches, and what the impact would be.

Step 4: Learn the STRIDE Model

• What is STRIDE?: STRIDE is a threat modeling framework used to categorize potential threats based on:
  • Spoofing: Impersonating a user or device.
  • Tampering: Unauthorized modification of data.
  • Repudiation: Denying actions that were taken.
  • Information Disclosure: Exposing sensitive information.
  • Denial of Service (DoS): Disabling access to resources.
  • Elevation of Privileges: Gaining unauthorized access to higher privileges.

Step 5: Apply STRIDE to Hypothetical Applications

• Mechanisms and Objects: Analyze the hypothetical application’s mechanisms and objects using STRIDE.
• Security Controls: Document how security controls mitigate identified threats.

Step 6: Build a Threat Profile

• From Threat Model Results: Create a threat profile that summarizes findings from your threat modeling process.
• Mapping to Real-World Attacks: Relate your findings to existing real-world attack scenarios to understand potential impacts.

Step 7: Conduct Real-World Threat Modeling

• Example Application: Use a real application (e.g., Grammarly) to conduct threat modeling based on the concepts learned.
• Components Analysis: Break down the application into its components and analyze it for vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you will enhance your ability to identify and mitigate security threats in applications. Begin with understanding threat modeling, apply the STRIDE framework, and practice with real-world applications. As you gain experience, consider participating in workshops or community discussions to further refine your skills and knowledge in bug bounty hunting.