Bug Bounty Recon : My Step-by-Step Methodology

There are thousands of articles and tutorials about Bug Bounty Recon. so, why should you read this one?

This answer is simple: This article focuses on methodology, not just tools. Many beginners learn individual recon tools and commands but still don't know what to do first, What to do next, Why they are doing it, or how to connect the results together. This can make recon confusing and time-consuming.

In this article, I will share the step-by-step Bug Bounty recon methodology I follow during my bug hunting process. By the end of this article, you will have a structured workflow that you can practice and adapt to your own methodology.

1. What is Bug Bounty Reconnaissance?

Recon is the initial phase of bug bounty. During that phase, we will collect a lot of information related to our domain. In simple words, recon helps a bug hunter understand what the target has, how it works, and where security testing may be relevant. Reconnaissance is the broader process of understanding the target and collecting information about it.

A bug bounty target can have many components, such as:

• Main website
• subdomains
• APIs
• Mobile applications
• Login and authentication systems
• Different technologies and frameworks
• cloud-hosted services
• Different web pages and endpoints

2. Start with scope?

Before starting bug bounty reconnaissance, the first and most important step is to understand the target scope. Scope tells you which assets you are allowed to test and which assets are off-limits.

In bug bounty program, the scope may include websites, subdomains, APIs, mobile applications, or other assets. You should always read the program's rules before performing active testing.

3. Passive Reconnaissance

Passive reconnaissance is a type of reconnaissance in which we collect information about a target from publicly available sources without directly interacting with the target's systems.

4. Active Reconnaissance

Active reconnaissance is the process where we move from publicly available information to direct interaction with authorized target systems. By sending direct requests to the server, we can identify live hosts, exposed services, technologies, URLs, endpoints, and application behavior. The information collected during this phase helps us understand the target's real attack surface and decide where further security testing should be performed.

5. Subdomain Enumeration

Subdomain Enumeration is the process of discovering subdomains associated with a target domain. In bug bounty reconnaissance, it helps researchers identify additional web assets that may not be visible from the main website.

6. Finding Live Hosts

After discovering subdomains, the next step is to determine which of those hosts are actually reachable and responding. This process is commonly called finding live hosts or host discovery.

During subdomain enumeration, you may discover many hosts, but not all of them will be active. Some could be outdated, unused, or no longer connected to a running service.

7. Technology Identification

After finding live hosts, the next step in bug bounty reconnaissance is Technology Identification. The goal is to understand what technologies, frameworks, servers, and other components are being used by the target.

Knowing the technology stack helps you understand how a web application is built and can guide your further reconnaissance and security testing.

8. URL & Endpoint Discovery

After identifying live hosts and understanding their technologies, the next step is URL and endpoint discovery.

A modern web application usually contains much more than its homepage. It may have login pages, APIs, user profiles, file upload functionality, administrative features, search functions, and many other endpoints.

The goal of URL and endpoint discovery is to map these accessible paths and understand how the application is structured.

9. JavaScript Recon

JavaScript recon involves analyzing JavaScript files used by a web application to discover useful information about its functionality and attack surface. These files may reveal API endpoints, routes, parameters, third-party services, or other application-related information.

The goal is to understand how the frontend communicates with the backend and identify areas that may require further security testing.

10. Organizing Recon Results

Recon can produce a large amount of information, so keeping the results organized is important. I usually organize discovered subdomains, live hosts, technologies, URLs, endpoints, and JavaScript files in a structured way.

For example:
Target
├── Subdomains
├── Live Hosts
├── Technologies
├── URLs
├── API Endpoints
└── JavaScript Files

For example:
Target
├── Subdomains
├── Live Hosts
├── Technologies
├── URLs
├── API Endpoints
└── JavaScript Files

Organized results make it easier to understand the attack surface and avoid repeating the same work.

11. From Recon to Vulnerability Testing

Recon is not the vulnerability itself; it helps us understand where to look next. After mapping the target and collecting useful information, the next step is to identify functionality that may require security testing.

For example, authentication pages, APIs, file uploads, access-control functionality, and user-related features can become areas for further investigation.

The important point is to perform testing only on assets that are explicitly within the bug bounty program's scope.

12. My Recon Checklist

A checklist helps maintain a consistent methodology and prevents important steps from being missed.

My basic recon checklist looks like this:

☐ Understand target scope
☐ Passive reconnaissance
☐ Active reconnaissance
☐ Subdomain enumeration
☐ Find live hosts
☐ Identify technologies
☐ Discover URLs & endpoints
☐ Analyze JavaScript
☐ Organize findings
☐ Move to vulnerability testing

☐ Understand target scope
☐ Passive reconnaissance
☐ Active reconnaissance
☐ Subdomain enumeration
☐ Find live hosts
☐ Identify technologies
☐ Discover URLs & endpoints
☐ Analyze JavaScript
☐ Organize findings
☐ Move to vulnerability testing

A structured checklist turns reconnaissance from random tool usage into a repeatable methodology.