I Used 4k Paid Bug Bounties to Build a CLI-First Security Agent (instavm.io)

In a recent development, a security researcher has successfully utilized coding agents like Gemini CLI and Claude Code to enhance a command-line interface (CLI)-centric security agent capable of discovering API vulnerabilities. By integrating a dataset of 4,000 paid bug bounties extracted from HackerOne's public disclosures, the researcher transformed the tool to autonomously identify specific issues, like Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR). This advancement showcases the potential of leveraging large language models (LLMs) for security assessments, significantly improving their applicability in real-world scenarios. The significance of this accomplishment lies in its practical implications for the AI/ML community and the cybersecurity field. The approach streamlines the process of training LLMs on security vulnerabilities by using structured markdown files to encapsulate detailed descriptions and remediation strategies. The researcher demonstrated the tool's capabilities by finding a vulnerability in an API that allowed enumeration through predictable username patterns. This evolution from researcher-controlled to a more autonomous, "agentic" tool promises to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of security audits, allowing a broader range of users to leverage AI capabilities in identifying and addressing security flaws.