| name | red-team-tools |
| description | Implement proven methodologies and tool workflows from top security researchers for effective reconnaissance, vulnerability discovery, and bug bounty hunting. Automate common tasks while maintaining thorough coverage of attack surfaces. |
| risk | offensive |
| source | community |
| author | zebbern |
| date_added | 2026-02-27 |
AUTHORIZED USE ONLY: Use this skill only for authorized security assessments, defensive validation, or controlled educational environments.
Red Team Tools and Methodology
Purpose
Implement proven methodologies and tool workflows from top security researchers for effective reconnaissance, vulnerability discovery, and bug bounty hunting. Automate common tasks while maintaining thorough coverage of attack surfaces.
Inputs/Prerequisites
- Target scope definition (domains, IP ranges, applications)
- Linux-based attack machine (Kali, Ubuntu)
- Bug bounty program rules and scope
- Tool dependencies installed (Go, Python, Ruby)
- API keys for various services (Shodan, Censys, etc.)
Outputs/Deliverables
- Comprehensive subdomain enumeration
- Live host discovery and technology fingerprinting
- Identified vulnerabilities and attack vectors
- Automated recon pipeline outputs
- Documented findings for reporting
Core Workflow
1. Project Tracking and Acquisitions
Set up reconnaissance tracking:
mkdir -p target/{recon,vulns,reports}
cd target
amass intel -org "Target Company" -src
curl -s "https://bgp.he.net/search?search=targetcompany&commit=Search"
2. Subdomain Enumeration
Comprehensive subdomain discovery:
echo "target.com" > wildcards
amass enum -passive -d target.com -src -o amass_passive.txt
amass enum -active -d target.com -src -o amass_active.txt
subfinder -d target.com -silent -o subfinder.txt
cat wildcards | assetfinder --subs-only | anew domains.txt
findomain -t target.com -o
cat domains.txt | dnsgen - | httprobe > permuted.txt
cat amass_*.txt subfinder.txt | sort -u > all_subs.txt
3. Live Host Discovery
Identify responding hosts:
cat domains.txt | httprobe -c 80 --prefer-https | anew hosts.txt
cat domains.txt | httpx -title -tech-detect -status-code -o live_hosts.txt
massdns -r resolvers.txt -t A -o S domains.txt > resolved.txt
4. Technology Fingerprinting
Identify technologies for targeted attacks:
whatweb -i hosts.txt -a 3 -v > tech_stack.txt
nuclei -l hosts.txt -t technologies/ -o tech_nuclei.txt
5. Content Discovery
Find hidden endpoints and files:
ffuf -ac -v -u https://target.com/FUZZ -w /usr/share/seclists/Discovery/Web-Content/raft-medium-directories.txt
waybackurls target.com | tee wayback.txt
gau target.com | tee all_urls.txt
cat all_urls.txt | grep "=" | sort -u > params.txt
cat all_urls.txt | unfurl paths | sort -u > custom_wordlist.txt
6. Application Analysis (Jason Haddix Method)
Heat Map Priority Areas:
- File Uploads - Test for injection, XXE, SSRF, shell upload
- Content Types - Filter Burp for multipart forms
- APIs - Look for hidden methods, lack of auth
- Profile Sections - Stored XSS, custom fields
- Integrations - SSRF through third parties
- Error Pages - Exotic injection points
Analysis Questions:
- How does the app pass data? (Params, API, Hybrid)
- Where does the app talk about users? (UID, UUID endpoints)
- Does the site have multi-tenancy or user levels?
- Does it have a unique threat model?
- How does the site handle XSS/CSRF?
- Has the site had past writeups/exploits?
7. Automated XSS Hunting
python3 paramspider.py --domain target.com -o params.txt
cat params.txt | Gxss -p test
cat params.txt | dalfox pipe --mining-dict params.txt -o xss_results.txt
waybackurls target.com | grep "=" | qsreplace '"><script>alert(1)</script>' | while read url; do
curl -s "$url" | grep -q 'alert(1)' && echo "$url"
done > potential_xss.txt
8. Vulnerability Scanning
nuclei -l hosts.txt -t ~/nuclei-templates/ -o nuclei_results.txt
nuclei -l hosts.txt -t cves/ -o cve_results.txt
nuclei -l hosts.txt -t vulnerabilities/ -o vuln_results.txt
9. API Enumeration
Wordlists for API fuzzing:
ffuf -u https://target.com/api/FUZZ -w /usr/share/seclists/Discovery/Web-Content/api/api-endpoints.txt
ffuf -u https://target.com/api/v1/FUZZ -w api_wordlist.txt
ffuf -u https://target.com/api/v2/FUZZ -w api_wordlist.txt
for method in GET POST PUT DELETE PATCH; do
curl -X $method https://target.com/api/users -v
done
10. Automated Recon Script
#!/bin/bash
domain=$1
if [[ -z $domain ]]; then
echo "Usage: ./recon.sh <domain>"
exit 1
fi
mkdir -p "$domain"
echo "[*] Enumerating subdomains..."
subfinder -d "$domain" -silent > "$domain/subs.txt"
echo "[*] Finding live hosts..."
cat "$domain/subs.txt" | httpx -title -tech-detect -status-code > "$domain/live.txt"
echo "[*] Collecting URLs..."
cat "$domain/live.txt" | waybackurls > "$domain/urls.txt"
echo "[*] Running Nuclei..."
nuclei -l "$domain/live.txt" -o "$domain/nuclei.txt"
echo "[+] Recon complete!"
Quick Reference
Essential Tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|
| Amass | Subdomain enumeration |
| Subfinder | Fast subdomain discovery |
| httpx/httprobe | Live host detection |
| ffuf | Content discovery |
| Nuclei | Vulnerability scanning |
| Burp Suite | Manual testing |
| Dalfox | XSS automation |
| waybackurls | Historical URL mining |
Key API Endpoints to Check
/api/v1/users
/api/v1/admin
/api/v1/profile
/api/users/me
/api/config
/api/debug
/api/swagger
/api/graphql
XSS Filter Testing
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<script>
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%253Cscript%253E
%26lt;script%26gt;
Constraints
- Respect program scope boundaries
- Avoid DoS or fuzzing on production without permission
- Rate limit requests to avoid blocking
- Some tools may generate false positives
- API keys required for full functionality of some tools
Examples
Example 1: Quick Subdomain Recon
subfinder -d target.com | httpx -title | tee results.txt
Example 2: XSS Hunting Pipeline
waybackurls target.com | grep "=" | qsreplace "test" | httpx -silent | dalfox pipe
Example 3: Comprehensive Scan
amass enum -d target.com | httpx | nuclei -t ~/nuclei-templates/
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|
| Rate limited | Use proxy rotation, reduce concurrency |
| Too many results | Focus on specific technology stacks |
| False positives | Manually verify findings before reporting |
| Missing subdomains | Combine multiple enumeration sources |
| API key errors | Verify keys in config files |
| Tools not found | Install Go tools with go install |
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.