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Bug Bounty Bootcamp
Bug Bounty Bootcamp teaches you how to hack web applications. You will learn how to perform reconnaissance on a target, how to identify vulnerabilities, and how to exploit them. You'll also learn how to navigate bug bounty programs set up by companies to reward security professionals for finding bugs in their web applications.
Bug bounty programs are company-sponsored programs that invite researchers to search for vulnerabilities on their applications and reward them for their findings. This book is designed to help beginners with little to no security experience learn web hacking, find bugs, and stay competitive in this booming and lucrative industry.
You'll start by learning how to choose a program, write quality bug reports, and maintain professional relationships in the industry. Then you'll learn how to set up a web hacking lab and use a proxy to capture traffic. In Part 3 of the book, you'll explore the mechanisms of common web vulnerabilities, like XSS, SQL injection, and template injection, and receive detailed advice on how to find them and bypass common protections. You'll also learn how to chain multiple bugs to maximize the impact of your vulnerabilities.
Finally, the book touches on advanced techniques rarely covered in introductory hacking books but that are crucial to understand to hack web applications. You'll learn how to hack mobile apps, review an application's source code for security issues, find vulnerabilities in APIs, and automate your hacking process. By the end of the book, you'll have learned the tools and techniques necessary to be a competent web hacker and find bugs on a bug bounty program.
Bug bounty programs are company-sponsored programs that invite researchers to search for vulnerabilities on their applications and reward them for their findings. This book is designed to help beginners with little to no security experience learn web hacking, find bugs, and stay competitive in this booming and lucrative industry.
You'll start by learning how to choose a program, write quality bug reports, and maintain professional relationships in the industry. Then you'll learn how to set up a web hacking lab and use a proxy to capture traffic. In Part 3 of the book, you'll explore the mechanisms of common web vulnerabilities, like XSS, SQL injection, and template injection, and receive detailed advice on how to find them and bypass common protections. You'll also learn how to chain multiple bugs to maximize the impact of your vulnerabilities.
Finally, the book touches on advanced techniques rarely covered in introductory hacking books but that are crucial to understand to hack web applications. You'll learn how to hack mobile apps, review an application's source code for security issues, find vulnerabilities in APIs, and automate your hacking process. By the end of the book, you'll have learned the tools and techniques necessary to be a competent web hacker and find bugs on a bug bounty program.
416 pages, Paperback
Published December 7, 2021
172 people are currently reading
499 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 3, 2022
Very well written, good introduction, would probably recommend this ahead of Web Hacking 101 and/or Real-World Bug Hunting as a great intro to the space with clear explanations for beginners.
December 29, 2025
A decently written introduction to common web application vulnerabilities. Was hoping for more of a deep dive but if you prefer physical text for learning this might be the book for you. There’s nothing here you can’t learn from the plethora of online resources like PortSwigger labs, PentesterLabs, Public disclosures, and good old hand-to-keyboard hacking.
Some chapters lacked crucial information. For example, In the XSS chapter most of the code examples use basic inline script injection with no mention of why this might not work in certain situations (e.g. DOM XSS).
Overall it was a decent book. Even if you aren’t new to web application security it’s a good reference and leaves you with some cool WAF bypasses, some neat encoding tricks, and new tooling to keep in mind.
Some chapters lacked crucial information. For example, In the XSS chapter most of the code examples use basic inline script injection with no mention of why this might not work in certain situations (e.g. DOM XSS).
Overall it was a decent book. Even if you aren’t new to web application security it’s a good reference and leaves you with some cool WAF bypasses, some neat encoding tricks, and new tooling to keep in mind.
June 1, 2024
"Bug Bounty Bootcamp" by Vicki Li is a comprehensive guide to web hacking, transforming enthusiasts into proficient bug bounty hunters. Published by No Starch Press in 2021, it remains relevant in today's AI-driven era, accurately predicting trends like API mobile security. The book emphasizes the evolution of penetration testing into a respected profession, balancing empowerment with ethical responsibility. It covers various hacking techniques, from reconnaissance to exploiting XSS and SQL injections, with practical exercises and insights on crafting bug reports. Despite its technical depth, it offers glimpses of lucrative rewards awaiting hunters, notably through XSS vulnerabilities. The book also addresses professionalism in hacking, including source code reviews and encryption prioritization. While some chapters explore virtual testing, others delve into real-world scenarios, like social engineering tactics for Android users. It underscores the universality of hacking vulnerabilities across platforms. Li's foresight on API security finds validation in Cory Ball's subsequent work, signaling a growing interest in the field. The book concludes with advanced topics, ensuring readers are equipped for bug bounty hunting. Ultimately, "Bug Bounty Bootcamp" serves as a pragmatic handbook, guiding readers through the cyber wilderness with actionable insights and ethical guidance.
May 1, 2022
3.5★
Very good for beginners, so the "Bootcamp" doesn't really fit as I was expecting a more comprehensive and through dive into different Vulnerabilities, which this book does, kind of, has neat summary and steps near the end of each chapter, so could be used as reference in one's methodology.
I paired this one with Yaworski's Real-World Bug Hunting: A Field Guide to Web Hacking, and I think that was a better approach as I got to read about real world examples of the vulnerabilities described, steps to find them along with different attack vectors, simultaneously.
Very good for beginners, so the "Bootcamp" doesn't really fit as I was expecting a more comprehensive and through dive into different Vulnerabilities, which this book does, kind of, has neat summary and steps near the end of each chapter, so could be used as reference in one's methodology.
I paired this one with Yaworski's Real-World Bug Hunting: A Field Guide to Web Hacking, and I think that was a better approach as I got to read about real world examples of the vulnerabilities described, steps to find them along with different attack vectors, simultaneously.
January 27, 2023
A good introduction for people who wants to start a bug bounty journey. The book will show you how to pick a right program, set up the pentest environment and find your first target. Along with that, it will help you to gain the basic information about how a web work. Then, it will show you 15 vulnerabilities and how to find them. For each vulnerability, the book will teach you both how to find it, exploit it and prevent the exploit from happening. However, the author doesn't go that deep into the vulnerability itself, only a quick introduction. But I think that's enough for most of people. So that they can start the journey.
IMO, the author has done an excellent work in giving you a good start in the bug bounty journey. If you are a new hunter, this book is definitely for you
IMO, the author has done an excellent work in giving you a good start in the bug bounty journey. If you are a new hunter, this book is definitely for you
May 2, 2025
Good first pass for anyone with a little bit of a technical background who wants to dip their toes into the world of modern web exploitation.
Vickie lays out a basic index of all of the most common vulns found on the web today, some general principles of what they look like, and how to begin hunting and exploiting them. The key word here is begin! I wouldn't expect to reproduce any of these exploits unless you were doing very basic CTF challenges, not even in free VDPs. With that said, it's a good first step overview to lay the groundwork as you further begin your journey into the offsec space. A good next step would be to go through all of portswigger academy or beginner modules on a platform like TryHackMe.
Vickie lays out a basic index of all of the most common vulns found on the web today, some general principles of what they look like, and how to begin hunting and exploiting them. The key word here is begin! I wouldn't expect to reproduce any of these exploits unless you were doing very basic CTF challenges, not even in free VDPs. With that said, it's a good first step overview to lay the groundwork as you further begin your journey into the offsec space. A good next step would be to go through all of portswigger academy or beginner modules on a platform like TryHackMe.
December 6, 2021
Bug Bounty Bootcamp is one of the best resources for anyone that is looking to get into bug bounty programs or any seasoned hackers looking to bolster their web application hacking skills. Vickie Li does an excellent job covering the core tools and techniques used for performing web hacking reconnaissance, discovering application vulnerabilities, and exploiting weaknesses. I appreciated the practical step-by-step guides that are included at the end of every chapter. After finishing this book, I am confident that I will be discovering and exploiting vulnerabilities that would have been otherwise overlooked. Highly recommend!
November 30, 2023
The book provides information about a wide range of weaknesses and vulnerabilities in web applications. Presents what causes and how to exploit the issues. Informs how to prevent them and mentions tools which can help with analysis and exploitation.
Beside the audience mentioned in the title - people willing to become bug bounty hunters - this position is a great entry point for readers interested in offensive security looking for a career as penetration testers, as well as software engineers willing to better design, implement and test their software against common attacks.
Beside the audience mentioned in the title - people willing to become bug bounty hunters - this position is a great entry point for readers interested in offensive security looking for a career as penetration testers, as well as software engineers willing to better design, implement and test their software against common attacks.
October 11, 2021
The book seems extremely helpful in getting to bug bounty.
It is easy to read, there is quite a lot of useful information which focuses not only how to do something but also how to learn to search information yourself and develop your own bug finding techniques.
I am still in the process of reading but enjoy it so far.
It is easy to read, there is quite a lot of useful information which focuses not only how to do something but also how to learn to search information yourself and develop your own bug finding techniques.
I am still in the process of reading but enjoy it so far.
July 8, 2021
good
September 19, 2021
one of the best book to start bug bounty
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2023
Quite the ok book for beginners to get a foundational understanding on bug bounty.
December 15, 2023
Best book for Web Application and bug bounty
January 27, 2024
Good for beginners
June 3, 2025
ما الذي يجعل شخصًا ما يضع وقته، وطاقته، ومهارته في البحث عن ثغرة قد لا تُكتشف أبدًا؟ بل، ما الذي يجعل هذا الفعل في حدّ ذاته يستحق المكافأة؟ ليس المال بالتأكيد – على الأقل ليس وحده – بل شيء أعمق، غريزي، ينتمي إلى تلك المنطقة الغامضة بين الفضول والسلطة!
في كتاب Bug Bounty Bootcamp، لا نجد أنفسنا أمام مجرد دليل تقني يُدرّس لك كيف تكون "هاكرًا أخلاقيًّا" يطارد الأخطاء مقابل المال، بل أمام رحلة داخلية في بنية العقل الأمني، ذلك الذي يرى العالم كما لو كان شبكة من الأبواب المواربة، لا المغلقة. منذ الصفحات الأولى، تتكشّف نبرة الكتاب: لا حديث عن البطولة، ولا وعود بالمكافآت السهلة، بل خطاب واقعي، فيه قدر كبير من التواضع، والتركيز على العمل الحقيقي. تبدأ الكاتبة بفكرة بسيطة، لكنها مفصلية: أن اختراق التطبيقات ليس عملية عدائية، بل عملية فهم. وكأنها تقول لنا: قبل أن تخترق تطبيقًا، تعلّم كيف يعمل، كيف يتنفس، أين يُخزن أسراره، وأين يُسيء الظن بالمستخدم.
وربما هذه هي القيمة الحقيقية للكتاب: ليس في كمية الثغرات التي يستعرضها، رغم أن تغطيته جيدة، ولا في عدد الأدوات، وإن كانت الأدوات حاضرة – بل في المنهجية، في تعليم القارئ كيف يُطوّر نمطًا في التفكير، كيف يصبر، كيف يُخطئ ويُعيد المحاولة. لا يُشبه الكتاب مدربًا عسكريًّا يصرخ في وجهك ليجعلك أقوى، بل يُشبه رفيقًا أكبر سنًّا يجلس معك بهدوء، ويدلّك على طرقٍ مشى فيها من قبلك. ولعل أبرز ما يشدّ في هذا العمل هو رفضه للانبهار بالتقنية من أجل التقنية. كل أداة تُستخدم لأجل هدف، وكل تقنية تخدم غرضًا. لا حديث هنا عن "هاكر خارق"، بل عن مُحلّل، قارئ دقيق لنقاط الضعف، يربط المعلومة الصغيرة في الشيفرة الخلفية بمخرجات API شبه مهملة، ويحوّل هذا الربط إلى اكتشاف ثمين.
وتحت السطور، تظهر دعوة ضمنية: أن تكون "صياد ثغرات" يعني أن تُجيد القراءة، لا قراءة الكود فقط، بل قراءة الواجهة، والمنطق، والسلوك، وحتى قراءة سهو المطوّر. الكاتبة تُكرّر كثيرًا أن فهم التطبيق هو نصف الطريق، بل أكثر، وهي دعوة ضد الاستعجال، ضد أولئك الذين يبحثون عن الثغرة قبل أن يتعرّفوا على "الضحية".
بوجه عام، يمثل Bug Bounty خيارًا ممتازًا لكل من يرغب في دخول مجال أمن التطبيقات من بوابة الـ Bug Bounty، ويمتاز بكونه يجمع بين الأساس النظري والتطبيق العملي، مما يجعله من الكتب النادرة التي تقدم محتوى تطبيقيًا حقيقيًا بلغة مفهومة ومنهجية واضحة.
في كتاب Bug Bounty Bootcamp، لا نجد أنفسنا أمام مجرد دليل تقني يُدرّس لك كيف تكون "هاكرًا أخلاقيًّا" يطارد الأخطاء مقابل المال، بل أمام رحلة داخلية في بنية العقل الأمني، ذلك الذي يرى العالم كما لو كان شبكة من الأبواب المواربة، لا المغلقة. منذ الصفحات الأولى، تتكشّف نبرة الكتاب: لا حديث عن البطولة، ولا وعود بالمكافآت السهلة، بل خطاب واقعي، فيه قدر كبير من التواضع، والتركيز على العمل الحقيقي. تبدأ الكاتبة بفكرة بسيطة، لكنها مفصلية: أن اختراق التطبيقات ليس عملية عدائية، بل عملية فهم. وكأنها تقول لنا: قبل أن تخترق تطبيقًا، تعلّم كيف يعمل، كيف يتنفس، أين يُخزن أسراره، وأين يُسيء الظن بالمستخدم.
وربما هذه هي القيمة الحقيقية للكتاب: ليس في كمية الثغرات التي يستعرضها، رغم أن تغطيته جيدة، ولا في عدد الأدوات، وإن كانت الأدوات حاضرة – بل في المنهجية، في تعليم القارئ كيف يُطوّر نمطًا في التفكير، كيف يصبر، كيف يُخطئ ويُعيد المحاولة. لا يُشبه الكتاب مدربًا عسكريًّا يصرخ في وجهك ليجعلك أقوى، بل يُشبه رفيقًا أكبر سنًّا يجلس معك بهدوء، ويدلّك على طرقٍ مشى فيها من قبلك. ولعل أبرز ما يشدّ في هذا العمل هو رفضه للانبهار بالتقنية من أجل التقنية. كل أداة تُستخدم لأجل هدف، وكل تقنية تخدم غرضًا. لا حديث هنا عن "هاكر خارق"، بل عن مُحلّل، قارئ دقيق لنقاط الضعف، يربط المعلومة الصغيرة في الشيفرة الخلفية بمخرجات API شبه مهملة، ويحوّل هذا الربط إلى اكتشاف ثمين.
وتحت السطور، تظهر دعوة ضمنية: أن تكون "صياد ثغرات" يعني أن تُجيد القراءة، لا قراءة الكود فقط، بل قراءة الواجهة، والمنطق، والسلوك، وحتى قراءة سهو المطوّر. الكاتبة تُكرّر كثيرًا أن فهم التطبيق هو نصف الطريق، بل أكثر، وهي دعوة ضد الاستعجال، ضد أولئك الذين يبحثون عن الثغرة قبل أن يتعرّفوا على "الضحية".
بوجه عام، يمثل Bug Bounty خيارًا ممتازًا لكل من يرغب في دخول مجال أمن التطبيقات من بوابة الـ Bug Bounty، ويمتاز بكونه يجمع بين الأساس النظري والتطبيق العملي، مما يجعله من الكتب النادرة التي تقدم محتوى تطبيقيًا حقيقيًا بلغة مفهومة ومنهجية واضحة.
January 14, 2022
Amazing book. Very detailed! Lots of technical knowledge in terms of all the various exploits and how to find them, escalate them and bypass protections, but also lots of knowledge of the bug bounty system and how it works and how to present your findings and demonstrate the severity to get the highest reward. Lot's of good references to the various tools out there to help you.
My one complaint would be it would be nice to have more concrete examples that you could run and play with these exploits. The book gives some code snippets for all the exploits, but they are there mostly to look at not to run and play with interactively. There were one or two that I was able to get working on my computer and play with but that was the exception. That said the code snippets were pretty clear, I just learn better in a more interactive environment.
I'm sure I will be continuously referencing this. There is just so much good (and very detailed) information there.
My one complaint would be it would be nice to have more concrete examples that you could run and play with these exploits. The book gives some code snippets for all the exploits, but they are there mostly to look at not to run and play with interactively. There were one or two that I was able to get working on my computer and play with but that was the exception. That said the code snippets were pretty clear, I just learn better in a more interactive environment.
I'm sure I will be continuously referencing this. There is just so much good (and very detailed) information there.
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