<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
---
name: implementing-bug-bounty-program-management
description: >-
  Design, launch, and manage bug bounty programs including scope definition, reward structures, triage workflows, researcher communication, and vulnerability lifecycle management across platforms like HackerOne and Bugcrowd.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: security-testing
tags:
  - bug-bounty
  - vulnerability-disclosure
  - hackerone
  - bugcrowd
  - vdp
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1190", "T1210"]
  tools: ["hackerone", "bugcrowd", "intigriti", "jira", "slack"]
---

# Implementing Bug Bounty Program Management

## Overview

Bug bounty program management covers the full lifecycle of crowdsourced vulnerability discovery — from program design and scope definition through triage, validation, remediation tracking, and researcher relationship management.

## Prerequisites

| Tool / Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| `hackerone` | Security tooling |
| `bugcrowd` | Security tooling |
| `intigriti` | Security tooling |
| `jira` | Security tooling |
| `slack` | Security tooling |
| Written authorization and rules of engagement | Environment requirement |
| Defined scope with in-scope targets and exclusions | Environment requirement |

## Workflow

### Step 1: Program Design

```bash
# Bug bounty program scope template
cat <<'EOF'
BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM SCOPE
==========================
Program Type:    [Private | Public | VDP]
Platform:        [HackerOne | Bugcrowd | Self-hosted]

IN SCOPE:
  - *.target.com (web applications)
  - api.target.com (REST API)
  - mobile apps (iOS/Android latest version)

OUT OF SCOPE:
  - Social engineering attacks
  - Denial of service
  - Physical attacks
  - Third-party services
  - Rate limiting issues without impact

REWARD TABLE:
  Critical (CVSS 9.0-10.0):  $5,000 — $15,000
  High (CVSS 7.0-8.9):       $2,000 — $5,000
  Medium (CVSS 4.0-6.9):     $500 — $2,000
  Low (CVSS 0.1-3.9):        $100 — $500
EOF
```

### Step 2: Triage Workflow

```bash
# Triage SLA configuration
cat <<'EOF'
TRIAGE SLA TARGETS
===================
Initial Response:    < 24 hours
Triage Decision:     < 48 hours
Bounty Award:        < 7 days from triage
Fix Verification:    < 30 days from fix
Resolution:          < 90 days from report

TRIAGE STATES:
  New → Triaged → Validated → Remediation → Resolved
  New → Triaged → Duplicate (link original)
  New → Triaged → Not Applicable (explain)
  New → Triaged → Informative (acknowledge)
EOF
```

### Step 3: Metrics and Reporting

```bash
# Program health metrics
cat <<'EOF'
KEY METRICS
============
- Mean time to first response (MTTFR)
- Mean time to triage (MTTT)
- Mean time to bounty (MTTB)
- Mean time to resolution (MTTR)
- Reports per month (trend)
- Valid vs invalid ratio
- Researcher satisfaction score
- Cost per valid vulnerability
- Duplicate rate
- Severity distribution
EOF
```

### Step 4: Researcher Communication

```bash
# Response templates for common scenarios
cat <<'EOF'
TRIAGE RESPONSE TEMPLATES
==========================
[VALID] Thank you for this report. We have validated the
vulnerability and our engineering team is working on a fix.
Bounty: $X,XXX based on CVSS score of X.X.

[DUPLICATE] Thank you for reporting this issue. This vulnerability
was previously reported in report #XXXXX. We appreciate your effort.

[NOT APPLICABLE] Thank you for this submission. After review, this
behavior is by design / does not meet our severity threshold because
[specific reason]. Happy to discuss further.
EOF
```

## Detection

```yaml
title: Bug Bounty Program Management Detection
id: 10ab8b40-7ca6-4a75-86a5-70e34007e69e
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious activity related to implementing bug bounty program management techniques in security testing context
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine: "*implementing*bug*"
  condition: selection
level: medium
tags:
  - attack.t1190
  - attack.t1210
  - attack.discovery
falsepositives:
  - Authorized security testing tools during scheduled assessment windows
```


**Detection Opportunities**

| Indicator | Source | Detection Logic |
|---|---|---|
| Bug Bounty Program Management Detection | windows/process_creation | Sigma rule (medium) |
| ATT&CK Coverage | MITRE ATT&CK | T1190, T1210 |

## Verification

- [ ] Authorization documented and scope confirmed
- [ ] All planned test cases executed
- [ ] Evidence collected with timestamps and integrity hashes
- [ ] Findings documented with severity and remediation
- [ ] Report delivered to stakeholders

## References

- [MITRE ATT&CK Framework](https://attack.mitre.org/)
- [PTES — Penetration Testing Execution Standard](http://www.pentest-standard.org/)
- [NIST SP 800-115 — Technical Guide to Security Testing](https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-115/final)
