What is Bug Bounty Program? Types, Benefits, Examples

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A bug bounty program is a scheme provided by numerous organizations such as Big Techies, Private tech companies, etc. enabling individuals to obtain acknowledgment and compensation for disclosing bugs, particularly those related to exploits and vulnerabilities. A remuneration offered to an individual who identifies a flaw or vulnerability in a computer program or system. 'The company enhances security by presenting a bug bounty.

What is a Bug Bounty?

A bug bounty project also referred to as a vulnerability rewards program (VRP), provides incentives to individuals who discover and disclose software bugs. These initiatives, which involve crowdsourcing, are often employed by companies as part of their vulnerability management strategy to supplement penetration tests and internal code audits. By allowing independent security experts to report bugs, such programs offer rewards or compensation in return. The identified bugs encompass a range of issues, including security exploits, vulnerabilities, process flaws, hardware defects, and more.

Typically, reports about the identified bugs are submitted through programs managed by independent third parties. These programs are tailored to meet the specific requirements of a company.

Depending on the need for confidentiality, bug bounty programs can be either public, allowing anyone to participate, or private and invite-only. The duration of the program can be defined or, more commonly, open-ended without a specific end date.

How Do Bug Bounties Work?

Hackers from all corners of the world actively search for bugs, some even making a living out of it. The availability of bounty programs attracts a diverse range of hackers with varying skills and expertise. This gives businesses an advantage compared to traditional testing methods that may rely solely on less experienced security teams to detect vulnerabilities.

Bug bounties and hackathons refer to monetary rewards granted to ethical hackers who are responsible for disclosure of bug bounty and successfully identify and report vulnerabilities or bugs to the developers of an application. These bug bounty programs enable companies to tap into the global hacker community, continuously enhancing the security of their systems over time.

How Many Types of Bug Bounties are There?

Bug bounties program are classified into two types based on their participation approach, taking into account the statistics and level of engagement of bug bounty hunters on a platform. These types are known as public programs and private programs.

Bug Bounty Type	Private Bug Bounty Program	Public Bug Bounty Program
Scope	It is limited to only few researchers	It is open to everyone
Program Visibility	It is kept private and announced to a limited security researcher	It is publicly announced
Targeted Audience	It targets specific skilled resources	It reaches out to a wide range of researchers
Participants	Only skilled and specific researchers	Open to everyone
Program Management	It follows a customized approach	It is generally led by the program’s security team or platform organizer
Testing Timeframe	Contractual engagements	Continuous and sometimes time bound
Disclosure Policy	Private, specific to the organization only	Can disclose the vulnerability after applying fix
Legal Agreements	Yes, follows organization specific agreements acceptance	Follows standard agreement terms

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How Does a Bug Bounty Program Work?

Organizations operate bug bounty programs to incentivize ethical hackers, also known as white hat hackers, to uncover security vulnerabilities and weaknesses in software. These programs offer attractive monetary rewards, irrespective of the perceived significance of the identified bug.

Bounty programs often work in conjunction with regular penetration testing, providing organizations with a means to assess the security of their applications throughout the entire development life cycle. By incorporating bug bounty programs, companies can supplement their security measures and proactively identify and address potential weaknesses.

Bug bounties project are not limited to smaller or emerging companies; they are widely adopted by major tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple. Often, these programs are structured with multiple tiers or categories, wherein higher rewards are assigned to bugs of greater severity.

When white hat hacker discovers a bug, they submit a comprehensive disclosure report providing a detailed account of their findings. The submitted report is then evaluated and investigated by the company's team of engineers. If the researcher's findings are accurate and valuable, they are promptly notified and rewarded monetarily.

This system benefits both companies and independent researchers. From the company's standpoint, it is preferable for an ethical hacker to expose a bug rather than a malicious individual who could exploit it before it is addressed, potentially leading to significant financial losses. On the other hand, hackers can earn substantial sums of money by participating in bug bounty programs, with some even making a full-time living by discovering application weaknesses.

How Can I Set Up My Own Bug Bounty Program?

In the past, establishing a bug bounty program entailed a complex process for companies, involving the creation of a communication platform, implementation of bug-tracking systems, and integration with payment gateways. However, with the advent of platforms like HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Apple Security Program, etc. setting up a bug bounty program has become remarkably streamlined.

These platforms offer a comprehensive solution that enables organizations to easily configure their program's scope, efficiently track bug reports, and manage payouts all from a centralized location. This simplifies the entire process, eliminating the need for companies to independently develop and manage multiple systems.

Moreover, these platforms provide detailed reporting metrics that offer real-time insights into the progress of bug bounty programs. This valuable data allows security teams to closely monitor the program's performance and make informed decisions promptly. Additionally, companies can establish customized Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to effectively address and resolve new bug disclosures in a timely manner.

By leveraging these platforms, companies can efficiently establish and manage their bug bounty programs, ensuring a streamlined and effective process for engaging with security researchers and addressing vulnerabilities.

Bug Bounty Program Examples

Launching lucrative bug bounty programs can be a cost-saving benchmark for organizations while furnishing a group of options for researchers to explore. Whether you are already a white hat hacker or desire to become one, here are the five best bug bounty programs (bug bounty list) and highly rewarding bug bounties program worth considering.

1. Apple Security Bounty

The Apple Security Bounty program stands as one of the most renowned bug bounty initiatives worldwide. It provides a range of rewards, ranging from $5,000 for identifying lock screen vulnerabilities, all the way up to a staggering $2 million highest bug bounty ever paid for discovering security flaws that could potentially circumvent Lockdown Mode protections.

2. Microsoft Bug Bounty Program

Microsoft operates its own widely recognized bug bounty program, presenting participants with various reward opportunities. Similar to Apple's program, Microsoft's initiative encompasses multiple categories. For instance, uncovering a vulnerability within the Microsoft.NET framework can lead to a payment of up to $15,000 bug bounty reward, while identifying one in Microsoft Hyper-V might yield a reward of up to $250,000 bug bounty reward.

3. Samsung Rewards Program

Samsung's Rewards Program primarily focuses on its mobile products. It maintains relatively stringent policies, so it's crucial to carefully review them before submitting a bug. Additionally, the company's engineers only consider bugs that impact the security of Samsung devices. Rewards within this program range between $200 and $200,000 bug bounty reward.

4. Google Bug Hunters

The Google Bug Hunters bounty program offers rewards that reach up to $30,000. White hat hackers, often referred to as bug hunters, can report bugs found in various Google services such as Gmail, YouTube, and BlogSpot. This program boasts an active community and even features its own online university, serving as an excellent resource for novice researchers.

5. Meta Bug Bounty

This bug bounty program includes a wide collection of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and more. To be qualified for a reward (with the lowest amount of $500) reported vulnerabilities must pose security or privacy risks and meet well-defined requirements. All valid reports receive a response, and if multiple hunters identify the same issue, the reward is granted to the first person who submits a report.

The below big bounty websites would be a good start for the bug bounty programs for beginners:

• Bugcrowd
• Hackerone
• Synack
• Japan Bug Bounty Program
• Cobalt
• Zerocopter
• Hackenproof13.
• BountyFactory
• Bug Bounty Programs List
• AntiHack

How to Become a Bug Bounty Hunter?

If you're interested in understanding web application penetration testing methodology and web hunting, there are several books available that can direct you through the process. These books provide the fundamentals and essential concepts of penetration testing and bug hunting. Since bug bounties repeatedly involve targeting web applications, you shall begin by focusing on getting commenced with web hacking. As you progress, you can explore other domains as well.

1. Web Applications Books

• The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook
• OWASP Testing Guide
• Penetration Testing
• The Hacker Playbook 2: Practical Guide to Penetration Testing
• The Tangled Web: A Guide to Securing Web Applications
• Jhaddix Bug Hunting Methodology
• The Hacker Playbook-3
• Ethical Hacking and Penetration Guide
• Web Penetration Testing with Kali Linux

2. Mobile Application Books

• The Mobile Application Hacker’s Handbook
• iOS Application Security
• Owasp Mobile AppSec

3. Available Vulnerability guides

• OWASP Top 10 2017
• SANS TOP 25
• SSRF Bible Cheetsheet
• File upload Stored XSS
• OWASP Web Application Security Testing Cheat Sheet

4. Web Application Vulnerability Scanners

• Netsparker Application Security Scanner
• Nikto
• Arachni
• w3af
• Wapiti
• SecApps
• WebReaver
• WPScan
• cms-explorer
• joomscan
• ACSTIS
• SQLmate 

5. Security Testing CheatSheet

• Pentest Bookmarks
• Awesome OSINT Cheat-sheet
• Awesome Pentest Cheat-sheet
• Bug Bounty Cheat-sheet
• Awesome Hacking Cheat-sheet
• Awesome-Infosec Cheat-Sheet
• SQL Injection Cheat-Sheet
• XSS Cheat-Sheet
• XXE Payload

6. Pen Testing Methodologies

• Penetration Testing Framework
• The Penetration Testing Execution Standard
• The WASC Threat Classification
• OWASP Top Ten Project
• The Social Engineering Framework

Skills Required to Become a Bug Bounty Hunter

As you venture on your learning journey, it is crucial to assure that you not only grasp the notions but also possess the knowledge you acquire. Engaging in hands-on practice with vulnerable applications and systems offers an immaculate opportunity to test your skills in simulated environments. By doing so, you gain worthwhile experience and insights into the challenges you may encounter in real-world scenarios.

• BWAPP
• Webgoat
• Rootme
• OWASP Juicy Shop
• Hacker101
• Hacksplaining
• Penetration Testing Practice Labs
• Damn Vulnerable iOS App (DVIA)
• Mutillidae
• Trytohack
• HackTheBox
• SQL Injection Practice

Now that you have conceived an overall hands-on experience of placing and exploiting security vulnerabilities, it will be now advantageous to study the findings discovered by other cyber-security researchers in real-world strategies. Fortunately, the cyber-security society is known for its generosity in sharing knowledge and experiences. To assist your exploration, we have collected a list of write-ups and tutorials for you to delve into. Bug bounty websites:

• Bug Bounty write-ups and POC
• Awesome Bug Bounty
• SecurityBreached-BugBounty POC
• Facebook Hunting POC
• Bug Hunting Tutorials
• PentesterLand Bug Bounty Writeups
• Bug Bounty Hackerone POC Reports
• Bug Bounty POC
• Netsec on Reddit
• Bug Bounty World
• JackkTutorials on YouTube
• DEFCON Conference videos on YouTube
• Hak5 on YouTube
• How To Shot Web - Jason Haddix, 2015
• Bug Bounty Hunting Methodology v2 - Jason Haddix, 2017
• Hunting for Top Bounties - Nicolas Grégoire, 2014
• The Secret life of a Bug Bounty Hunter - Frans Rosén, 2016
• Finding Bugs with Burp Plugins & Bug Bounty 101 - Bugcrowd, 2014
• How to hack all the bug bounty things automagically reap the rewards profit - Mike Baker, 2016
• SecurityIdiots
• BlackHat
• Injector PCA
• DevilKiller
• SulemanMalik
• Penetration Testing in linux

Benefits of Bug Bounty Programs

Bug bounty programs have gained significant prominence in both the public and private sectors due to the multitude of benefits they offer to the companies being tested.

1. Enhanced Vulnerability Detection

One of the important benefits of bug bounty programs is the capability for organizations to discover and address vulnerabilities within their applications, effectively preventing exploitation by outsiders, commonly known as cybersecurity criminals, and mitigating the potential damage. By engaging ethical hackers, these programs increase the probability of identifying vulnerabilities, thereby safeguarding the organization's prestige and minimizing the risk of high-value cyberattacks.

2. Cost Savings

Bug bounties program deliver substantial cost savings in several ways. Firstly, providing a bounty to discover a vulnerability is far less expensive than dealing with the aftermath of a cybersecurity incident resulting from the same vulnerability. While bounty amounts may vary, even the most generous bounties are often significantly more affordable than the financial repercussions of a data breach.

3. Access to a Diverse Talent Pool

Bug bounty programs grant companies access to a broad and diverse pool of talent that might otherwise be challenging to assemble in-house. Given that program researchers are highly competent and specialized in their respective domains, hiring them as full-time employees would likely be prohibitively pricey. By leveraging a bug bounty program, organizations can tap into a more considerable group of cyber-security researcher with a wide range of skills, exceeding what a conventional vulnerability assessment or penetration test could offer.

4. Realistic Threat Simulation

Companies prioritize the identification and remediation of vulnerabilities that are most likely to be targeted by malicious attackers. However, the realism of such exercises in traditional penetration tests and vulnerability assessments can be limited due to various factors.

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Conclusion

Although bug bounty programs and white-hat hackers are widely acknowledged as influential for security vulnerability identification and exploitation, however, it's also essential to recognize that these programs can also provoke controversy. To mitigate the potential security risks, certain organizations opt for more controlled approaches by executing a private or invite only bug bounty programs for security researchers to participate in and explore the vulnerabilities and overall security posture of the target.