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When most people think of a website, they imagine the main domain: example.com. But hackers know the real treasure often lies in the subdomains—the hidden rooms, forgotten doors, and dusty basements of the internet. 🏚️

Subdomains are everywhere:

  • blog.example.com
  • dev.example.com
  • test.example.com
  • mail.example.com

And here's the kicker 👉 Subdomains can make you rich if you know how to find, exploit, and report them responsibly through bug bounty programs. 💰

This blog is a 5000-word deep dive into the world of subdomains — how hackers discover them, the art of subdomain takeover, and how hunters earn $$$ in bounties. Get ready for stories, tools, real-world hacks, and monetization tips. 🚀

🌍 Why Subdomains Matter

Most companies don't realize just how many subdomains they actually own. Over years of development, mergers, and experiments, businesses accumulate hundreds or even thousands of subdomains. Many are forgotten. Some point to third-party services. Some are abandoned. ⚠️

For hackers, this is gold:

  • A forgotten subdomain = potential entry point.
  • A misconfigured subdomain = takeover.
  • An exposed dev site = sensitive leaks.

Real-world example:

  • Uber (2017): A bug hunter found a subdomain takeover vulnerability and reported it. Uber paid a $5000 bounty.

🔍 Reconnaissance: Finding Subdomains Like a Pro

The first step in any subdomain hunt is recon — finding as many subdomains as possible. Hackers use a mix of automated tools, DNS tricks, and brute force.

Tools for Subdomain Enumeration ⚡

  1. Sublist3r
sublist3r -d example.com
  1. Amass
amass enum -d example.com
  1. Assetfinder
assetfinder --subs-only example.com
  1. crt.sh (Certificate Transparency logs)
https://crt.sh/?q=%25.example.com
  1. Subfinder
subfinder -d example.com

📚 Resources:

🏴 Subdomain Takeover Explained

A subdomain takeover happens when:

  1. A subdomain points to a service (like GitHub Pages, AWS, Heroku).
  2. The service has been removed, but the DNS record still exists.
  3. An attacker registers the service and gains control of the subdomain.

💡 Example:

subdomain.example.com → CNAME → deletedapp.herokuapp.com

If Heroku app deletedapp is available, an attacker can register it and control subdomain.example.com.

⚠️ Real-World Cases

  1. Shopify Bounty Hunter (2019): A hacker earned $15,000 for multiple subdomain takeovers on Shopify's infrastructure.
  2. Microsoft GitHub Pages: Hackers found forgotten subdomains pointing to GitHub Pages, hosting malicious content under a trusted domain.
  3. PayPal Subdomain (2018): A researcher discovered a vulnerable PayPal subdomain that could have been hijacked. He earned a bounty and fame.

💰 How Hackers Make Money

Bug bounty platforms like HackerOne, Bugcrowd, and Intigriti pay out thousands of dollars for valid subdomain takeover reports.

  • Small takeover = $500 — $1500 💵
  • Critical takeover (high impact) = $5000+ 💸
  • Multiple subdomains = tens of thousands 💎

📚 Resources:

🧰 Tools for Subdomain Takeover

  1. Subjack (automated takeover detection)
go get github.com/haccer/subjack
  1. Takeover
git clone https://github.com/m4ll0k/takeover.git
  1. Nuclei Templates (ProjectDiscovery)
nuclei -t cves/ -l subdomains.txt

🕵️ The Psychology of Subdomain Hunting

Why do hackers love this niche? Because it's like digital treasure hunting 🏴‍☠️. Every subdomain is a potential goldmine:

  • Sometimes it's a dev site with hidden APIs.
  • Sometimes it's a staging site with old logins.
  • Sometimes it's a broken link waiting for takeover.

And the thrill? Reporting a takeover and watching a $5000 bounty land in your account. 💰

🔒 How Companies Can Protect Themselves

To prevent subdomain takeovers:

✅ Regularly audit DNS records 📝 ✅ Remove unused services ⛔ ✅ Monitor third-party integrations 🔍 ✅ Use automation for asset discovery ⚡ ✅ Implement bug bounty programs 👨‍💻

📚 Resource:

🤑 Monetizing Knowledge: From Hacker to Writer

Here's the secret: writing about hacking = $$$ too.

Cybersecurity blogs like this one can earn you money via:

  • Medium Partner Program (paid by reading time ⏳)
  • Affiliate programs (e.g., VPNs, pentesting tools 🔗)
  • Courses/eBooks (turn blogs into learning material 📘)
  • Consulting gigs (help companies secure subdomains 💼)

Example links:

⚡ The Future of Subdomain Bounties

Subdomain takeovers aren't going away. As companies grow, their attack surface grows. New tools, more automation, more third-party services = more opportunities for hackers.

We're entering an era where attack surface management is as critical as firewalls. Subdomain hunters are already ahead of the curve.

📌 Final Thoughts

Subdomains may look small, but their impact is massive. They can:

  • Expose private systems 🛑
  • Be hijacked for phishing 🎣
  • Earn hackers thousands 💵

For companies: Audit and secure. For hackers: Hunt and report. For readers: Stay curious.

Because in the secret life of subdomains, the ones who look deeper find the real treasure. 🌐💎

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