Beginners often try advanced bugs and get stuck. Instead, focus on simple, common vulnerabilities that appear on real websites.

Here are Top 5 Beginner Vulnerabilities you should learn first.

1. IDOR (Insecure Direct Object Reference)

None

IDOR happens when you can access another user's data by changing an ID in the URL or request.

Example

https://example.com/profile?id=1001

Change to:

https://example.com/profile?id=1002

If you see another user's data → IDOR found

Where to test

  • Profile pages
  • Order history
  • Invoice download
  • API requests
  • File downloads

Why beginners should learn this

  • Very common vulnerability
  • Easy to test
  • No coding required
  • High impact

SEO keywords: IDOR vulnerability, IDOR bug bounty, IDOR example, access control vulnerability

2. Reflected XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)

None

Reflected XSS happens when user input is reflected in the page without proper filtering.

Example

Search box:

https://example.com/search?q=test

Try:

<script>alert(1)</script>

If popup appears → Reflected XSS

Where to test

  • Search boxes
  • Filters
  • Login errors
  • URL parameters
  • Contact forms

Why beginners should learn this

  • Easy to understand
  • Found in many websites
  • Great first XSS practice

3. Open Redirect

None

Open Redirect happens when a website redirects users to any external site without validation.

Example

https://example.com/redirect?url=google.com

Change to:

https://example.com/redirect?url=evil.com

If it redirects → Open Redirect

Where to test

  • Login redirects
  • Logout pages
  • Continue buttons
  • Return URL parameters

Why beginners should learn this

  • Very easy to test
  • Good for understanding parameters
  • Common in real applications

SEO keywords: open redirect vulnerability, open redirect bug bounty, redirect parameter testing

4. Information Disclosure

None

This happens when sensitive data is exposed accidentally.

Common examples

  • /robots.txt
  • .git folder
  • /backup.zip
  • /admin
  • /test
  • /phpinfo.php

What to look for

  • API keys
  • Emails
  • Internal paths
  • Debug messages
  • Version info

Why beginners should learn this

  • No exploitation required
  • Just find exposed data
  • Very beginner friendly

SEO keywords: information disclosure vulnerability, sensitive data exposure, bug bounty beginner

5. Broken Authentication

None

This happens when login or authentication logic is weak.

Example

Try logging in with:

admin:admin
test:test
user:user

Or test:

  • Password reset
  • OTP bypass
  • Session reuse
  • Remember me token

Why beginners should learn this

  • Found in many apps
  • High impact
  • Good for learning auth logic

SEO keywords: broken authentication bug bounty, login bypass vulnerability, authentication testing

Quick Beginner Testing Checklist

Start testing these first:

✓ Change IDs (IDOR) ✓ Test inputs (XSS) ✓ Modify redirect URLs ✓ Check hidden files ✓ Test login logic

Final Thoughts

You don't need coding to start bug bounty.

Start with:

  • IDOR
  • XSS
  • Open Redirect
  • Info Disclosure
  • Broken Authentication

These vulnerabilities:

  • Are beginner friendly
  • Appear in real targets
  • Help build hacker mindset
  • Improve testing skills fast

Master these first, then move to advanced bugs.