The 10 Commandments of Bug Bounty Hunting
Thou Shalt Not Exploit the Vulnerabilities: Discover the flaws, but never use them for personal gain. Report them responsibly, lest ye become the very thing you hunt.
Thou Shalt Respect the Scope: Stay within the boundaries set by the bounty program. Stray not into forbidden areas, for there lies only wrath and disqualification.
Thou Shalt Report with Clarity: Offer clear, detailed, and reproducible reports. A concise and well-documented finding is worth more than a thousand vague claims.
Thou Shalt Honor Responsible Disclosure: Share your findings with the program first, allowing them to fix the issue before going public. Patience is a virtue in this sacred hunt.
Thou Shalt Not Covet Another’s Bounty: Envy not the successes of fellow hunters. Celebrate their wins, and learn from their methods.
Thou Shalt Continuously Learn: The path of the hunter is one of perpetual learning. Sharpen your skills and stay abreast of the latest techniques and vulnerabilities.
Thou Shalt Seek Consent Before Testing: Ensure the program explicitly allows for your testing. Unauthorized hunting is akin to trespassing and will bring only trouble.
Thou Shalt Protect User Data: Handle any user data you encounter with the utmost care. Protect it as if it were your own, and disclose only what is necessary.
Thou Shalt Not Create Vulnerabilities: Plant not the seeds of insecurity in your quest. The goal is to find and fix flaws, not to introduce new ones.
Thou Shalt Celebrate the Successes of Others: Rejoice in the discoveries of your peers, for the security of one is the security of all. Share knowledge, uplift the community, and hunt with honor.
These "commandments" capture the ethical and practical principles that should guide every bug bounty hunter, blending traditional wisdom with the modern context of cybersecurity.