(This One Habit Changed My Bug Bounty Results)

✍️ By Ghostyjoe

🎯 Most People Start Too Late

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Most bug bounty hunters open Burp…

…and start testing immediately.

Requests. Payloads. Repeater.

But here's the problem:

👉 They're testing what's already visible.

And missing what matters.

🧠 The Real Opportunity

Before you test anything…

👉 You need to see more than everyone else.

Because most high-value bugs live in:

  • hidden endpoints
  • unused APIs
  • forgotten routes
  • internal logic

🔎 The Habit That Changes Everything

Before touching Burp…

👉 I spend time mapping endpoints first.

Not guessing.

Not fuzzing blindly.

Just observing the application properly.

🌐 Step 1 — Open DevTools (Most People Skip This)

Right-click → Inspect Go to:

👉 Network tab

🖥️ Screenshot — Network Tab Capturing API Calls

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Now refresh the page.

Watch carefully.

🔥 What You're Looking For

You'll start seeing requests like:

/api/user/profile
/api/orders
/api/settings
/api/internal/data

👉 These are gold.

Because:

  • they are structured
  • they handle data
  • they often rely on IDs

💥 Step 2 — Click Every API Request

Don't rush.

Click each one.

Look at:

  • request URL
  • parameters
  • response data

🖥️ Screenshot — API JSON Response

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Ask yourself:

👉 "Should I really be seeing this?"

🧪 Step 3 — Look for Patterns

Now this is where bugs appear.

Look for:

id=
user_id=
account=
order_id=

Example:

/api/user?id=123

👉 You already know where this goes…

🔓 Step 4 — Test the Obvious (Most People Don't)

Change it:

/api/user?id=124

If the response changes:

💥 You may have:

👉 IDOR 👉 data exposure 👉 broken access control

⚠️ Why This Works So Well

Because developers:

  • trust frontend logic
  • assume IDs are safe
  • forget backend checks

And that creates bugs.

🧠 The Shift That Matters

Most hunters think:

👉 "I need better payloads"

But the real answer is:

👉 "I need better visibility"

🔥 Where Hidden APIs Usually Hide

Check:

  • dashboard pages
  • settings pages
  • profile sections
  • mobile views
  • background requests

👉 The UI is just the surface 👉 The API is the real target

💡 Pro Tip (This Is Big)

Stay in the Network tab for:

👉 5–10 minutes before testing anything

Just watch.

Map.

Understand.

👉 This alone puts you ahead of most hunters.

⚖️ Ethical Reminder

Only test:

  • in-scope targets
  • authorized programs
  • allowed endpoints

Never access sensitive data beyond proof-of-concept.

🚀 Final Thought

Most bugs are not hidden.

They are just:

👉 unobserved 👉 untested 👉 ignored

And once you start seeing APIs properly…

👉 you'll find bugs faster than ever.

👏 If this helped, follow for more Ghostyjoe bug bounty content.

☕ Support my work: https://buymeacoffee.com/ghostyjoe