NahamSec Shares Favorite Linux Commands for Bug Bounty Hunting

In this video, NahamSec, a bug bounty hunter, shares his favorite Linux commands and explains how to use them to enhance vulnerability reconnaissance and exploitation. He emphasizes that even with a limited set of commands, one can achieve a lot and create custom workflows tailored to their hacking style.

NahamSec begins by highlighting the importance of mastering essential Linux commands for bug hunting. He does not dwell on basic commands like cd, pwd, or cat, but focuses on more advanced tools that can provide an advantage during reconnaissance and exploitation.

The first command introduced is curl, a powerful tool for interacting with APIs and web servers. NahamSec demonstrates how to use curl to send GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and even HEAD requests. He explains how to add specific headers, set request methods, and even authenticate requests with basic credentials. He points out that curl is often faster and more convenient than using tools like Burp Suite for testing APIs.

Next, NahamSec introduces xargs, a command that allows for manipulating files and passing arguments to other commands. He shows how to use xargs to process lists of subdomains, passing them to tools like dig to obtain IP addresses. He also explains how to use xargs to add prefixes like "https://" to each line of a file.

The following command is grep, an essential tool for filtering data in text files. NahamSec demonstrates how to use grep to search for specific keywords, perform case-insensitive searches, and even use regular expressions for more complex searches. He emphasizes the importance of grep for extracting relevant information during reconnaissance.

NahamSec then moves on to jq, a tool for manipulating JSON data. He shows how to use jq to extract specific values, filter data based on criteria, and even format JSON data to make it more readable. He explains how jq can be used to analyze API responses and extract useful information.

Finally, NahamSec combines all these commands into a practical workflow. He shows how to use curl to obtain data from an API, jq to extract relevant information, grep to filter the results, and xargs to pass the results to other tools. He concludes by demonstrating how to use the comm command to compare two files and identify differences, which is useful for tracking changes in reconnaissance results.

In conclusion, NahamSec demonstrates how a few well-mastered Linux commands can greatly improve the efficiency and speed of vulnerability reconnaissance and exploitation. By combining these tools, bug hunters can create custom workflows that perfectly suit their working style.