New Video from @BugBountyReportsExplained Featuring René, a Dutch Bug Bounty Hunter

In this video, we have the honor of welcoming René, also known as renniepak on various platforms, a 40-year-old Dutch hacker with an impressive background in bug bounty hunting. René shares his unique journey, transitioning from music to IT, and eventually to cybersecurity. He discusses his experiences as a full-time bug hunter, the challenges and rewards of this lifestyle, as well as his preferred techniques and tools for detecting vulnerabilities. René begins by talking about his interest in XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) vulnerabilities, which remain one of the most common and lucrative types of vulnerabilities. He mentions that although XSS vulnerabilities are often caused by third parties, they can be difficult to monetize due to the complexity of CSP (Content Security Policy) bypasses. René has even created a tool to help identify CSP bypasses, which is now open source and actively contributed to by the community. When it comes to tools, René prefers a manual approach, primarily using Burp Suite and browser-based tools. He is particularly known for his JavaScript bookmarklets, which allow him to automate repetitive tasks directly from the browser. This helps him stay focused and accelerate his workflow. He also mentions using PostMessageTracker to detect postMessage XSS vulnerabilities, a tool he has improved to better suit his needs. René also discusses his interest in IDOR (Insecure Direct Object References) vulnerabilities and access control bugs. He explains how he often uses JavaScript sources to identify sensitive endpoints and how he manipulates JavaScript responses to access administrative features or other restricted parts of the application. He shares an interesting anecdote about how he found a vulnerability by simply modifying a JavaScript variable to impersonate an administrator. Regarding bug bounty events, René has participated in many Intigriti events but has been less active recently. He hopes that the current event won't be his last and is excited about the possibility of going to Dubai for the finale. He also shares advice for those considering quitting their jobs to become full-time bug hunters, emphasizing the importance of having a financial cushion to deal with lean periods. René also talks about his experience with browser extensions and Web3 vulnerabilities, where XSS can have a critical impact. He shares a story about how he found a stored XSS vulnerability in an NFT marketplace by deploying a smart contract, earning him a $50,000 reward. Although he has explored smart contract vulnerabilities, he finds that debugging and interacting with smart contracts is not really his thing. Finally, René discusses Hacker Hideout, a Discord community he co-founded with Stefan. They organize regular meetups where hackers can gather, share knowledge, and participate in live hacking sessions. He plans to organize another event soon, probably in the Netherlands. For those who want to learn more about René's techniques and tools, this interview is a goldmine. He shares valuable insights into how he approaches bug bounty hunting, his favorite tools, and advice for new bug hunters.