home / skills / jcastillotx / vibe-skeleton-app / red-team-tools
This skill helps security researchers automate reconnaissance, subdomain enumeration, and vulnerability discovery using red team methodologies.
npx playbooks add skill jcastillotx/vibe-skeleton-app --skill red-team-toolsReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: Red Team Tools and Methodology
description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "follow red team methodology", "perform bug bounty hunting", "automate reconnaissance", "hunt for XSS vulnerabilities", "enumerate subdomains", or needs security researcher techniques and tool configurations from top bug bounty hunters.
---
# 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:
```bash
# Create project structure
mkdir -p target/{recon,vulns,reports}
cd target
# Find acquisitions using Crunchbase
# Search manually for subsidiary companies
# Get ASN for targets
amass intel -org "Target Company" -src
# Alternative ASN lookup
curl -s "https://bgp.he.net/search?search=targetcompany&commit=Search"
```
### 2. Subdomain Enumeration
Comprehensive subdomain discovery:
```bash
# Create wildcards file
echo "target.com" > wildcards
# Run Amass passively
amass enum -passive -d target.com -src -o amass_passive.txt
# Run Amass actively
amass enum -active -d target.com -src -o amass_active.txt
# Use Subfinder
subfinder -d target.com -silent -o subfinder.txt
# Asset discovery
cat wildcards | assetfinder --subs-only | anew domains.txt
# Alternative subdomain tools
findomain -t target.com -o
# Generate permutations with dnsgen
cat domains.txt | dnsgen - | httprobe > permuted.txt
# Combine all sources
cat amass_*.txt subfinder.txt | sort -u > all_subs.txt
```
### 3. Live Host Discovery
Identify responding hosts:
```bash
# Check which hosts are live with httprobe
cat domains.txt | httprobe -c 80 --prefer-https | anew hosts.txt
# Use httpx for more details
cat domains.txt | httpx -title -tech-detect -status-code -o live_hosts.txt
# Alternative with massdns
massdns -r resolvers.txt -t A -o S domains.txt > resolved.txt
```
### 4. Technology Fingerprinting
Identify technologies for targeted attacks:
```bash
# Whatweb scanning
whatweb -i hosts.txt -a 3 -v > tech_stack.txt
# Nuclei technology detection
nuclei -l hosts.txt -t technologies/ -o tech_nuclei.txt
# Wappalyzer (if available)
# Browser extension for manual review
```
### 5. Content Discovery
Find hidden endpoints and files:
```bash
# Directory bruteforce with ffuf
ffuf -ac -v -u https://target.com/FUZZ -w /usr/share/seclists/Discovery/Web-Content/raft-medium-directories.txt
# Historical URLs from Wayback
waybackurls target.com | tee wayback.txt
# Find all URLs with gau
gau target.com | tee all_urls.txt
# Parameter discovery
cat all_urls.txt | grep "=" | sort -u > params.txt
# Generate custom wordlist from historical data
cat all_urls.txt | unfurl paths | sort -u > custom_wordlist.txt
```
### 6. Application Analysis (Jason Haddix Method)
**Heat Map Priority Areas:**
1. **File Uploads** - Test for injection, XXE, SSRF, shell upload
2. **Content Types** - Filter Burp for multipart forms
3. **APIs** - Look for hidden methods, lack of auth
4. **Profile Sections** - Stored XSS, custom fields
5. **Integrations** - SSRF through third parties
6. **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
```bash
# ParamSpider for parameter extraction
python3 paramspider.py --domain target.com -o params.txt
# Filter with Gxss
cat params.txt | Gxss -p test
# Dalfox for XSS testing
cat params.txt | dalfox pipe --mining-dict params.txt -o xss_results.txt
# Alternative workflow
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
```bash
# Nuclei comprehensive scan
nuclei -l hosts.txt -t ~/nuclei-templates/ -o nuclei_results.txt
# Check for common CVEs
nuclei -l hosts.txt -t cves/ -o cve_results.txt
# Web vulnerabilities
nuclei -l hosts.txt -t vulnerabilities/ -o vuln_results.txt
```
### 9. API Enumeration
**Wordlists for API fuzzing:**
```bash
# Enumerate API endpoints
ffuf -u https://target.com/api/FUZZ -w /usr/share/seclists/Discovery/Web-Content/api/api-endpoints.txt
# Test API versions
ffuf -u https://target.com/api/v1/FUZZ -w api_wordlist.txt
ffuf -u https://target.com/api/v2/FUZZ -w api_wordlist.txt
# Check for hidden methods
for method in GET POST PUT DELETE PATCH; do
curl -X $method https://target.com/api/users -v
done
```
### 10. Automated Recon Script
```bash
#!/bin/bash
domain=$1
if [[ -z $domain ]]; then
echo "Usage: ./recon.sh <domain>"
exit 1
fi
mkdir -p "$domain"
# Subdomain enumeration
echo "[*] Enumerating subdomains..."
subfinder -d "$domain" -silent > "$domain/subs.txt"
# Live host discovery
echo "[*] Finding live hosts..."
cat "$domain/subs.txt" | httpx -title -tech-detect -status-code > "$domain/live.txt"
# URL collection
echo "[*] Collecting URLs..."
cat "$domain/live.txt" | waybackurls > "$domain/urls.txt"
# Nuclei scanning
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
```html
<!-- Test encoding handling -->
<h1><img><table>
<script>
%3Cscript%3E
%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
```bash
subfinder -d target.com | httpx -title | tee results.txt
```
### Example 2: XSS Hunting Pipeline
```bash
waybackurls target.com | grep "=" | qsreplace "test" | httpx -silent | dalfox pipe
```
### Example 3: Comprehensive Scan
```bash
# Full recon chain
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` |
This skill packages red team tools and methodology into a repeatable reconnaissance and vulnerability discovery workflow. It focuses on asset discovery, live host identification, technology fingerprinting, content and API enumeration, and automated testing pipelines. Use it to structure authorized security assessments, bug bounty hunts, or controlled red team engagements.
The skill describes a layered workflow: project setup and scope definition, passive and active subdomain enumeration, live host detection, technology fingerprinting, content and API discovery, automated vulnerability checks, and manual application analysis. It emphasizes combining multiple data sources, automating routine tasks, and producing documented outputs for validation and reporting.
Is this workflow legal to use on any target?
No. Use these methods only with explicit permission or within the rules of a bug bounty program. Respect scope limits and applicable laws.
What prerequisites are needed to use this methodology?
A defined scope (domains, IPs), a Linux-based testing environment, and access to required tooling and any third-party API keys. Familiarity with triage and manual validation is important.
How do I avoid false positives from automated scans?
Treat automated results as leads: validate findings manually, correlate multiple data sources, and document reproducible steps before reporting.