Best Bug Bounty Courses in 2023

Bug bounty programs have gained immense popularity in recent years as organizations recognize the value of crowdsourcing security testing to identify vulnerabilities in their systems. If you have a passion for ethical hacking and want to leverage your skills to earn rewards while securing digital infrastructures, enrolling in a bug bounty course is a fantastic way to enhance your expertise.

A bug bounty course equips you with the knowledge and techniques necessary to become a proficient bug bounty hunter. These courses provide in-depth training on identifying vulnerabilities and reporting them to organizations, thereby earning bounties for your efforts.

I have made a list of the best bug bounty courses that are tailored to suit beginners as well as experienced hackers. These courses mainly cover topics and vulnerabilities related to web application security.

By enrolling in a bug bounty course, you will not only gain technical knowledge but also learn about the legal and ethical aspects of bug hunting. These courses emphasize responsible disclosure, proof of concepts and good ethical hacking practices, ensuring that your findings are eligible for bounties.

Here’s the summary of the best Bug Bounty Courses:

Advantages of StationX

StationX is a dedicated platform for online cybersecurity courses. These courses cover various hacking-related topics including bug bounty. If you join the StationX accelerator program, you’ll gain access to the full library of cybersecurity courses which includes most courses mentioned in this list along with many other premium benefits.

You can check out the advantages of joining the StationX Accelerator Program here.

Also, new courses are added from time to time on StationX and if you are already a part of the program, then you can access them free of charge.

Best Bug Bounty Course

1. Learn Bug Bounty Hunting & Web Security Testing From Scratch

The first bug bounty course on this list is “Learn Bug Bounty Hunting & Web Security Testing From Scratch”. It is a highly practical course that starts from the very basics and moves to an advanced level gradually.

This course covers various vulnerabilities that exist in web applications such as IDOR, broken access control, Command Injection, XSS, SQL injection and much more. You’ll also learn various tools used by hackers including Burp Suite to discover vulnerabilities in a web application. 

Moreover, there is also a 2-hour live bug-hunting section in which the instructor showcases discovering vulnerabilities in real live websites. In the last section, you will learn about the HackerOne platform and how to submit a bug report.

If you are a beginner and want to start your bug bounty journey learning the basics, then I recommend you check out this course.

Check course details on StationX

2. Ethical Hacking / Penetration Testing & Bug Bounty Hunting v1 and v2

There are two versions of “Ethical Hacking / Penetration Testing & Bug Bounty Hunting” – v1 and v2. In both courses, you will not only learn about different types of website vulnerabilities, but the instructor takes it to the next level by performing bug hunting on live websites.

The vulnerabilities covered in the v1 course include authentication bypass, no rate-limit attacks, XSS, CSRF, CORS etc. In the v2 course, you’ll learn about vulnerabilities like subdomain takeover, HTML injection, ClickJacking, File inclusion, Broken link Hijacking, SQL injection, SSRF and remote code execution.

Moreover, you’ll also learn about tools like Burp Suite that are invaluable in finding vulnerabilities in web applications. The course also provides insights and roadmaps for bug bounty programs, teaching students how to identify and responsibly disclose vulnerabilities to organizations while earning rewards.

If you want to learn bug hunting by seeing it in action on real websites, then you can enrol in these two (v1 and v2) courses.

Check course details on StationX

3. The Complete Web Penetration Testing & Bug Bounty Course

The Complete Web Penetration Testing & Bug Bounty Course starts with creating a virtual hacking lab where you can set up Kali Linux to practice the different types of vulnerabilities without getting into any legal trouble.

Once you complete the Kali Linux setup section, you’ll move towards the HTML crash course. After that, you’ll learn about vulnerabilities like HTML and PHP injection, Command Execution, Directory traversal, XSS, Access Control and IDOR, SQL injection, SSRF and much more.

Although the course contains a lot of information regarding various types of vulnerabilities, it doesn’t delve into real-life bug hunting like the two courses mentioned previously on this bug bounty course list.

If you want to learn bug bounty and practice the skills in your hacking lab before moving to bug hunting on live websites, then have a look at this course.

Check course details on StationX

4. Web Security & Bug Bounty: Learn Penetration Testing

This Web Security & Bug Bounty course by Andrei Neagoie and Aleksa Tamburkovski starts with the basics such as setting up your pentesting lab. The lab includes installation of Kali Linux, OWASP broken web app and creating a TryHackMe account.

The practical side of exploiting vulnerabilities will be demonstrated on the OWASP BWA or the TryHackMe rooms. After setting up the lab, the course will move on to the website enumeration and information gathering techniques and burp suite basics.

Once done will all the basic stuff, the course will cover the various vulnerabilities that exist in a web environment such as HTML injection, command injection, broken authentication, XSS, SQL injection and many more. It will also go through the security misconfigurations and insufficient logging and monitoring that allow an attacker to gain unauthorised access without getting caught.

Lastly, you’ll learn how to earn money through finding vulnerabilities along with some extra lectures on web developer fundamentals and basic Linux terminal commands for beginners.

Check course details on Udemy

Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources that can help you with your Bug Bounty Journey:

1. TryHackMe:

TryHackMe is an online platform that provides a hands-on learning experience for individuals interested in learning and practising ethical hacking and penetration testing skills. It offers a wide range of virtual rooms and challenges designed to simulate real-world scenarios.

Users can access various learning paths, interactive labs, and capture-the-flag (CTF) challenges to enhance their knowledge of cybersecurity and bug-hunting techniques. TryHackMe provides an ideal environment for students to learn bug bounty by allowing them to practice their skills in a controlled and educational setting.

2. Hack the Box:

Just like TryHackMe, Hack the Box also provides a wide range of vulnerable machines and CTF challenges for users to solve.  It is also designed to simulate real-world scenarios and you can practice your penetration testing skills legally and ethically.

While both TryHackMe and HTB offer learning resources and practical challenges, HTB offers more challenging boxes and its subscriptions are costlier than the TryHackMe.

If you are a beginner, then I recommend starting with TryHackMe. Once you go through the learning paths and become comfortable with TryHackMe boxes, move on to HackTheBox to further polish your skills.

3. HackerOne:

HackerOne is a leading vulnerability coordination and bug bounty platform that connects ethical hackers with organizations that are willing to improve their security. It enables security researchers to report vulnerabilities to companies and receive monetary rewards for their findings. HackerOne hosts bug bounty programs for a wide range of organizations, including major tech companies and government entities.

It provides students with an opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge in a real-world context, learn from experienced researchers and earn rewards for their contributions. HackerOne is a valuable platform for students interested in bug bounty, as it facilitates collaboration, learning, and recognition.

4. Bugcrowd:

Bugcrowd is a crowdsourced cybersecurity platform that connects organizations with a global community of ethical hackers. Similar to HackerOne, BugCrowd also offers bug bounty programs, vulnerability disclosure programs (VDPs) and managed security programs to help organizations identify and remediate vulnerabilities.

Bugcrowd provides a platform for security researchers to participate in bug bounty programs from various industries, gain real-world experience and earn monetary rewards for their findings. It offers a supportive community and access to a wide range of programs, making it an excellent platform for students to learn bug bounty and develop their skills while earning monetary rewards.

Conclusion

Bug bounty programs continue to gain momentum as organizations recognize the value of external security testing. The knowledge and techniques gained from these courses will not only help you find vulnerabilities but also enable you to communicate your findings effectively to organizations, increasing your chances of earning substantial rewards.

Furthermore, bug bounty platforms like HackerOne or Bugcrowd often provide access to a supportive community of like-minded individuals, allowing you to learn from experienced hunters, share knowledge, and collaborate on challenging projects. This network can be invaluable in your bug bounty journey, providing guidance and mentorship as you navigate the complexities of the field.

So, whether you’re driven by the thrill of discovering vulnerabilities, the pursuit of financial rewards or the desire to contribute to a safer digital ecosystem, investing in a bug bounty course is a wise choice.