Bug bounty hunters can earn enormous rewards, with top programs paying over $10,000 for critical vulnerabilities. But finding these flaws isn’t easy— many high-value vulnerabilities require deep technical expertise. This guide focuses on five vulnerabilities that are easier to exploit yet still offer big rewards.
Understanding the Bug Bounty Landscape
According to different reports, web vulnerabilities are widespread, affecting 50% to 65% of websites. While some issues, like missing security headers, are too minor to earn bounties, others can expose sensitive data and create severe security risks.
Instead of targeting highly complex privilege escalation flaws, we focus on vulnerabilities that are relatively easy to find and provide high payouts for ethical hackers. This list is based on real-world reports from leading bug bounty platforms like HackerOne and Bugcrowd.
1. Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR)
| 💰 Average Payout | $1,285 |
| 🧑💻 Manual Testing Difficulty | Medium |
| 🤖 Automated Scan Difficulty | Hard |
Why IDOR is Dangerous
IDOR flaws allow attackers to manipulate object references, gaining unauthorized access to private data. This is a common issue in APIs handling user accounts or sensitive records.
How to Identify IDOR
- Look for endpoints using
id=,user_id=,account_number=, etc. - Modify IDs in requests and observe if you can access other users’ data.
- Check API responses for unexpected access to restricted information.
Best Tools for IDOR Detection
Automation IDOR detection is hard due to authentication requirements and a lack of predictable patterns. Useful tools:
- Autorize can assist in detecting IDOR.
- SmartScanner – Uses AI to analyze response patterns, making it superior to traditional scanners.
2. SQL Injection (SQLi)
| 💰 Average Payout | $1,084 |
| 🧑💻 Manual Testing Difficulty | Medium |
| 🤖 Automated Scan Difficulty | Easy |
Why SQLi is Dangerous
SQL Injection enables attackers to execute malicious queries, extract sensitive database records, or even gain administrative access.
How to Identify SQLi
- Submit special characters (
',--,;) in input fields and observe errors. - Use payloads like
OR 1=1orUNION SELECTto manipulate responses. - Look for error messages exposing database structure.
Best Tools for SQLi Detection
- SQLmap – Automated SQLi detection tool.
- SmartScanner – Crawls the entire site to detect injection points with minimal requests, increasing efficiency and reducing false positives.
3. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
| 💰 Average Payout | $577 |
| 🧑💻 Manual Testing Difficulty | Medium |
| 🤖 Automated Scan Difficulty | Medium |
Why XSS is Dangerous
XSS allows attackers to inject malicious scripts, hijack user sessions, or steal sensitive data.
How to Identify XSS
- Insert
<script>alert(1)</script>into input fields and check execution. - Look for unescaped user input reflected in the page response.
- Test for stored XSS in user-generated content.
Best Tools for XSS Detection
- XSStrike – Detects and exploits XSS vulnerabilities.
- OWASP ZAP – Open-source security scanner.
- SmartScanner – Simulates real browser behavior, detecting multi-step XSS attacks.
4. Information Disclosure
| 💰 Average Payout | $511 |
| 🧑💻 Manual Testing Difficulty | Easy |
| 🤖 Automated Scan Difficulty | Medium |
Why Information Disclosure is Dangerous
Sensitive information leaks, such as API keys, credentials, or internal logs, can expose an entire system to attack.
How to Identify Information Disclosure
- Look for error messages revealing system paths, database structures, or debug info.
- Scan for exposed
.gitor.envfiles. - Search for leaked credentials in web responses.
Best Tools for Detection
- DirBuster – Brute force directories and files names on web/application servers.
- SmartScanner Detects different information disclosures like exposed secrets, error messages, and backup files with AI-driven heuristics in the whole website leading to more findings.
5. Open Redirect – Exploit URL Manipulation
| 💰 Average Payout | $241 |
| 🧑💻 Manual Testing Difficulty | Easy |
| 🤖 Automated Scan Difficulty | Medium |
Why Open Redirect is Dangerous
Open redirects occur when an application allows users to control redirection URLs, enabling phishing or malicious site redirections.
How to Identify Open Redirects
- Look for URLs containing
redirect=,url=,next=, orreturn=parameters. - Modify these parameters to point to an external malicious site.
- Test if input validation prevents redirection abuse.
Best Tools for Detection
- OpenRedirex – Detects open redirects.
- SmartScanner – Checks for bypass techniques and phishing exploit risks with zero configuration, unlike many manual configuration-heavy tools.
Bonus: Content Spoofing
| 💰 Average Payout | Varies |
| 🧑💻 Manual Testing Difficulty | Easy |
| 🤖 Automated Scan Difficulty | Medium |
Why Content Spoofing is Dangerous
Content spoofing allows attackers to manipulate visible website content, leading to phishing attacks or misinformation.
How to Identify Content Spoofing
- Look for unsanitized parameters affecting page content.
- Modify text values and observe UI changes.
- Test for missing input validation.
Best Tools for Detection
- XSStrike – Can be used to test for XSS-based spoofing.
- SmartScanner – Automates detection of spoofing vulnerabilities.
Conclusion: Make Your Bug Hunting More Efficient
Bug bounty hunting is competitive, but by focusing on these high-reward vulnerabilities, you can maximize your success.
Why SmartScanner is the Best Choice
- Advanced Crawler – Scans entire websites, not just single URLs.
- Smart & Efficient – Finds vulnerabilities with minimal requests to avoid detection.
- AI-Powered Analysis – Uses AI to reduce false negatives and detects complex issues.
- Zero Configuration – Works out-of-the-box, saving setup time.
🚀 Start using SmartScanner today to enhance your bug-hunting efforts!
