Awesome Tool
Here’s a beginner-friendly Awesome List on creating, designing, and maintaining tools for bug bounty and cybersecurity development. This list focuses on a streamlined approach with templates, checklists, and best practices.
Awesome Tool Creation for Cybersecurity
A curated list of resources, templates, and checklists to help you quickly create tools that are functional, good-looking, and easy to maintain.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Building custom tools for bug bounty or cybersecurity tasks is a skill that can save time, reduce errors, and improve efficiency. This list will guide you through creating tools with:
Proper documentation.
Easy-to-use interfaces.
Scalability for future updates.
2. Development Basics
Languages to Learn
Python: Great for automation and scripting.
Bash: Perfect for lightweight scripts and command-line tools.
Go: Efficient and fast for building scalable tools.
Environment Setup
Install essential software:
Set up a project structure:
Version Control
Initialize Git:
Use branches for new features:
3. Pre-Built Templates
CLI Tool Template
Python Recon Script
4. Tool Design Checklist
Basic Features
Accept input via command-line arguments.
Include usage instructions (
--help
flag).Validate user input (e.g., ensure the domain is valid).
Structure
src/: Codebase.
docs/: Documentation files (README, usage guides).
tests/: Unit and functional tests.
Error Handling
Log errors to a file:
Exit on failure with meaningful messages.
5. Automation and Recon Scripting
Recon Pipeline Example
6. User Interface Tips
Command-Line Features
Add colorful output:
Include a progress bar for long tasks.
Customizing Output
Use tables for clarity:
Generate Markdown reports:
7. DevOps and CI/CD Integration
GitHub Actions Pipeline
8. Resources for Inspiration
Tool Repositories
Cheatsheets
Books
"Automate the Boring Stuff with Python" by Al Sweigart.
"Black Hat Python" by Justin Seitz.
This list is a starting point for building your tools and automating tasks. Feel free to customize and expand it for your needs. 🚀
Comprehensive guidelines for building effective, scalable, and user-friendly tools, focusing on bug bounty, cybersecurity, and automation.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Building tools isn't just about automating tasks; it's about creating reliable, efficient, and reusable workflows. This list provides detailed steps to go from zero to building highly functional tools for bug bounty and security research.
2. Getting Started with Tool Development
Languages to Learn
Python: Ideal for rapid development and API integration.
Bash: Great for quick and lightweight automation scripts.
Go (Golang): Perfect for building high-performance tools.
JavaScript: Use for browser automation and interacting with web apps.
Tools to Install
Git for version control:
Package managers:
Python:
pip
andpipenv
JavaScript:
npm
oryarn
Go:
go install
Development Environment:
IDE: VSCode, PyCharm, or IntelliJ.
Linters:
flake8
for Python,shellcheck
for Bash, andgolangci-lint
for Go.
3. Tool Design Fundamentals
Key Design Principles
User-friendly interface:
Use clear command-line options (
-h
,--help
).Add error messages for incorrect inputs.
Scalable architecture:
Use modular functions.
Store reusable logic in libraries.
Comprehensive output:
Include color-coded CLI output.
Generate reports in multiple formats (JSON, CSV, Markdown).
Directory Structure for Projects
4. Advanced Automation Scripts
Full Recon Workflow
Scheduled Recon with Crontab
Edit the crontab:
Add a daily schedule:
5. Scripting Best Practices
Bash
Set strict mode to catch errors:
Handle arguments:
Python
Use
argparse
for CLI tools:Leverage virtual environments:
6. Integrating APIs in Tools
API Keys
Store them in environment variables:
Access in Python:
Example API Call
Using Python's requests
library:
7. Report Generation
Markdown Report Template
JSON Output
8. Testing and Debugging
Unit Testing
Use Python’s
unittest
module:
Debugging Tips
Use
set -x
in Bash scripts for tracing.In Python, use
pdb
:
9. Useful Libraries and Frameworks
Bash
Python
Requests: Simplified HTTP requests.
BeautifulSoup: Web scraping.
Go
10. Resources and Learning Platforms
OWASP Cheat Sheets: Security best practices.
HackTricks: Offensive techniques.
PayloadsAllTheThings: Exploitation payloads.
This comprehensive guide should give you the confidence to start building, automating, and refining your own tools. 🚀
Certainly! Here's an expanded version of the Awesome List with additional tips, tools, workflows, and techniques.
Extended Ultimate Awesome List for Tool Building and Automation
Build faster, more efficient tools for bug bounty, cybersecurity, and recon tasks with this comprehensive guide.
11. Advanced Recon Techniques
Subdomain Enumeration
Passive Techniques:
Use
crt.sh
for Certificate Transparency Logs.Tools:
subfinder
,amass
,assetfinder
,dnsx
.
Active Techniques:
DNS brute-forcing with
puredns
ordnsx
.Permutation-based enumeration using
gotator
.
DNS Data Gathering:
Retrieve DNS records with
dig
,host
, ordnsx
:
Recursive Subdomain Search:
Use tools like
dsieve
to recursively find deeper subdomains:
URL Discovery
Combine Wayback Machine, Common Crawl, and gau for maximum coverage:
12. Dynamic Wordlist Generation
Generating Wordlists from JS Files
Use
getjs
andjsluice
:
Generate Password Lists
Use
pydictor
:
Custom Subdomain Lists
Combine existing lists with
dnsvalidator
:
13. Advanced Scripting Tips
Parallel Processing
Use GNU Parallel for running commands on multiple cores:
Tool Dependency Checker
Ensure all required tools are installed before execution:
Error Handling
Redirect errors to a separate log file:
14. Automation Pipelines
GitHub Actions Pipeline
Automate recon with scheduled scans:
Google Cloud Automation
Schedule automated scans with Google Cloud Functions and Cloud Scheduler.
Example function for subdomain enumeration:
15. Post-Processing and Data Visualization
Filtering Unique URLs
Deduplicate and sort URLs:
Create Visual Maps
Subdomain Graphs
Use
amass
andMaltego
for visualizing subdomain connections.Export with:
Network Graphs
Use tools like
neo4j
orGraphviz
.
HTML Reporting
Use Python libraries like
BeautifulSoup
orj2html
to generate reports:
16. Tool Examples
API Token Validator
Port Scanning Automation
17. Notifications
Slack Integration
Send results to Slack:
Telegram Bot
Notify via Telegram:
18. Advanced Tools and Frameworks
Recon Tools
katana: Fast crawler for endpoints.
waymore: Wayback URLs with custom filtering.
Interlace: Automate tool chaining for multithreaded scans.
Fuzzing Tools
ffuf: Fast web fuzzer for directories and parameters.
GoFuzz: Fuzzing Go applications.
19. Continuous Improvement
Set Benchmarks
Track metrics for improvement:
Time to find vulnerabilities.
Tool efficiency (false positives vs. true positives).
Automation speed.
Integrate Machine Learning
Use AI-based tools like
ChatGPT
orWeka
to analyze recon data patterns for hidden vulnerabilities.
20. Resources for Inspiration
Books
"Black Hat Python" by Justin Seitz.
"Hacking APIs" by Corey Ball.
Communities
Learning Platforms
This extended guide is designed to give you everything you need to get started with tool development, automation, and advanced recon workflows. Here’s an extended Awesome List to further cover the essentials and advanced aspects of scripting, automation, and tool creation in bug hunting and cybersecurity. This builds on the previous list with new categories and actionable insights:
31. Web Scraping and Automation
Python Web Scraping
Scraping with
requests
andBeautifulSoup
:Scraping APIs:
Browser Automation
Using Selenium for Dynamic Content:
Headless Browsing with Puppeteer:
32. Advanced Network Scanning
Bash Utilities
Masscan for Fast Port Scanning:
Custom Banner Grabbing:
Python Scanners
Custom Port Scanner:
33. OSINT Automation
OSINT Tools
Email Enumeration with
holehe
:Search Leaked Credentials:
Custom Scripts
Automate Google Dorking:
LinkedIn Scraping for Employee Info:
34. Advanced Vulnerability Exploitation
Exploitation Scripts
SQL Injection Exploitation with Python:
XSS Automation:
35. API Security Testing
Custom Scripts
API Endpoint Testing:
Automate Rate-Limiting Checks:
36. Data Extraction
Extract Key Info
Find All IPs in a Log File:
Extract Emails:
37. Continuous Monitoring Pipelines
GitHub Actions for Automation
Recon Automation:
Slack Alerts for Findings:
38. File Handling in Automation
Parse and Process Large Files
Bash: Split Large Files:
Python: Process JSON:
39. Advanced Reporting
Visualizations
Graph Vulnerabilities:
Use Python’s
matplotlib
:
Heatmaps for Severity:
40. Quick Automation Ideas
Instant Tools
Certificate Transparency:
Screenshot Script:
Check for WAF:
This expanded list includes even more actionable insights for scripting, automation, and creating tools with over 40 unique sections. Each item is tailored to help you create effective, automated, and scalable bug bounty workflows.
21. Advanced Recon Pipelines
GitOps for Recon
Use GitLab CI/CD for recon pipelines:
Kubernetes Integration:
Deploy tools like
nuclei
andffuf
on a Kubernetes cluster for scalable recon.
Axiom for Distributed Scanning:
Create distributed pipelines using Axiom:
22. Custom Scripting for Bug Bounty
Enhanced Bash Utilities
Retry Logic for Unstable Commands:
Use as:
Dynamic Wordlist Updates:
Automated Screenshot Script:
Python Recon Scripts
HTTP Header Analyzer:
Directory Brute-Forcer:
23. Advanced Data Parsing
Extract Domains from JS Files
Using Bash:
With Python:
Parse JSON Files for Sensitive Data
Use
jq
:
24. Enhanced Vulnerability Detection
Custom Scripts
SSRF Testing:
XSS Payload Testing:
SQL Injection Automation:
25. Workflow Optimization Tools
Version Control
Use Git hooks to enforce standards:
Linters and Formatters
Python:
black
,flake8
Bash:
shellcheck
Automated Deployment
Use
Docker
:
26. Best Practices for Tool Development
Modularization
Use reusable functions:
Error Handling
Provide detailed error messages:
Performance Optimization
Multi-threading:
27. Continuous Monitoring
Scheduled Tasks
Use
cron
for periodic scans:
Real-Time Alerts
Integrate Slack or Telegram for notifications:
28. GitHub Awesome List Templates
Building Your Own List
Use GitHub Markdown Templates:
Structure:
Automated Updates
Use GitHub Actions to periodically update content:
29. Advanced Reporting
HTML Reports
Create visually appealing reports using
ReportLab
orFlask
:
Markdown Reports
Script Example:
Export to PDF:
Use
pandoc
:
GitHub has blocked your push because it detected a secret (like a GitHub Personal Access Token) in your repository. To resolve this and safeguard your repository:
Steps to Fix and Prevent Issues
1. Remove Secrets from History
Identify the Secret: GitHub tells you where the secret is located, e.g.,
MyMac/Automated-Scanner/tools/.tokens:1
. Open the file and remove the secret.Amend the Commit: After removing the secret, re-commit the changes:
2. Use git filter-repo
to Remove Secrets from Entire History
If the secret exists in older commits:
Install
git-filter-repo
:Remove the Secret: Replace
<path>
with the file path containing the secret:Force Push Clean History:
Set Up Best Practices to Prevent Future Issues
3. Enable GitHub Push Protection
GitHub will block pushes containing sensitive information by default if push protection is enabled. Ensure it's active in your repository settings:
Go to Settings > Code Security and Analysis > Push Protection.
Enable Push Protection.
4. Use .gitignore
to Prevent Secrets from Being Committed
Add paths of sensitive files to a .gitignore
file:
Then stage and commit the .gitignore
file:
5. Scan for Secrets Locally
Use tools like GitGuardian CLI to scan your commits for secrets before pushing:
6. Replace Existing Tokens
If a token was exposed, revoke it and create a new one:
Revoke the token via GitHub's Settings > Developer Settings > Personal Access Tokens.
Create a new token and securely store it in environment variables or secret management tools like AWS Secrets Manager or HashiCorp Vault.
7. Use .env
Files for Secrets
Store secrets in .env
files and load them dynamically into your scripts using tools like dotenv
. Example .env
file:
Add .env
to .gitignore
:
Push Again After Fixing Issues
After cleaning the history and ensuring no secrets remain, retry your push:
Comprehensive GitHub Solutions and Best Practices
Here’s a detailed guide to handling common Git issues, maintaining repository hygiene, securing your code, and improving workflows for professional-grade repositories.
1. General Git and GitHub Commands
Clone a Repository
Create and Push a New Branch
Merge Branches
Stash Uncommitted Changes
2. Fixing Common Git Issues
Remove Untracked Files
Undo the Last Commit
Resolve Merge Conflicts
Open conflicted files.
Edit the conflict markers (
<<<<<<
,======
,>>>>>>
).Stage the resolved files:
Continue the merge:
Fix Detached HEAD
3. Managing Secrets
Prevent Secrets in Commits
Add sensitive files to .gitignore
:
Scan Commits for Secrets
Use tools like TruffleHog:
Replace Leaked Secrets
If a secret is exposed:
Revoke the token immediately.
Use
git filter-repo
to remove it:Push the cleaned history:
4. Improving Repository Security
Enable 2FA for Your GitHub Account
Go to Settings > Security > Two-factor authentication.
Follow the prompts to set up 2FA.
Set Up Branch Protection
Go to Settings > Branches > Add branch protection rule.
Enable:
Require pull request reviews.
Require status checks.
Restrict who can push.
Enable Secret Scanning
Go to Settings > Security & Analysis.
Enable Secret Scanning and Push Protection.
5. Automating Workflows
Using GitHub Actions
Create a .github/workflows/main.yml
file:
Schedule Automated Tasks
Run a workflow daily:
6. Commit Hygiene
Write Descriptive Commit Messages
Follow the conventional commit format:
Example:
Sign Commits
Enable GPG signing for commits:
7. Version Control Best Practices
Tagging Releases
Changelog Automation
8. Collaboration
Create a Pull Request
Push changes:
Go to the repository on GitHub and create a PR.
Review PRs
Use GitHub’s review tools to add comments.
Mark a PR as approved or request changes.
9. Repository Hygiene
Archive Old Branches
Delete merged branches:
Clean Up Commit History
Use rebase for a cleaner history:
10. Advanced Git Commands
Revert a Specific Commit
Cherry-Pick a Commit
View Commit History
Show Changes Between Branches
11. Backup and Restore
Backup a Repository
Restore from Backup
12. Troubleshooting
Fix Corrupted Repositories
Rebuild the Index
Recover Lost Commits
13. Resources for Learning
This list ensures you have everything covered, from basic Git operations to advanced GitHub features, to help you create efficient, secure, and collaborative workflows. If you still encounter issues, GitHub’s documentation here provides more details on resolving blocked pushes.
30. Learning Resources
Tutorials
Videos
YouTube Channels:
Books
"The Web Application Hacker's Handbook" by Dafydd Stuttard.
"Practical Binary Analysis" by Dennis Andriesse.
This expanded Awesome List now provides 200+ actionable tips, tools, and workflows for building, automating, and optimizing cybersecurity scripts and tools!
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