Sometimes, the best bugs don't live in your Burp Suite — they're chilling in the archives. 😎
🕵️♂️ Day 1–5: The Pain of Finding Nothing
It all started when I began testing on xyz.com. Full of energy, I fired up my Burp, browser, and caffeine… ready to hunt down something juicy.
But two days passed — and nothing.
No signup page, no authentication endpoint, no upload feature — basically, the bug hunter's version of a desert. 🌵
At one point, I almost started inspecting the privacy policy for XSS. (Yes, it was that bad 😅)
⚡️ Day 6: The Archive Whispered…
On day 6, I decided to switch gears. I thought, "Okay, if I can't find something new, maybe something old can find me."
So I headed to our old friend — web.archive.org.
https://web.archive.org/cdx/search/cdx?url=*.xyz.com/*&collapse=urlkey&output=text&fl=originalAfter a few snapshots, something suspicious appeared…
A URL that looked like this:
https://billing.xyz.com/1234XXXXXXXX/payment/post-payment?XXXXXXXIt looked too specific to be random. My hacker senses started tingling. 🕶️
💥 The "BOOM" Moment
I opened it… and BOOM 💣 — unauthorized access to the billing system!
The page loaded payment information with full PII data. We're talking names, emails, transaction details — the works.
Even crazier — I could add, edit, and delete payment details! Basically, I was an uninvited admin in someone else's billing system.
All that from one URL… sitting peacefully in an archive for who knows how long.
🤯 The Lesson
After few days of frustration, it took me just five minutes to find this gem. Moral of the story?
Consistency beats luck — but a little curiosity doesn't hurt. 😎
📅 Timeline
- 🧭 Found: November 5, 2024
- 🔒 Fixed: January 2, 2025
- 💰 Rewarded: April 11, 2025 ₹XXXXX
🧠 Key Takeaways
- Don't underestimate old URLs or archived endpoints.
- Recon isn't just about tools — it's about patterns.
- When you think there's nothing left to find… go old school.
😂 Bonus Moment
I told my friend I found a billing system open to the world. He said, "So you basically did online shopping for free?" I said, "No, bro — I did bug bounty shopping." 💸💻
🏁 Conclusion
This bug wasn't about flashy payloads or fancy exploits. It was about patience, persistence, and knowing where to look.
Sometimes, the archive remembers what the developers forgot. 😉
🙏 Thanks for Reading!
If you enjoyed this write-up or learned something new, don't forget to leave a 👏 or share it with your fellow hunters.
You can connect with me here on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/j-sonali
Until next time, Happy Hunting! 🔍🐞