Introduction to Vulnerability Exploitation
A recent forum thread titled 'Hacking for Profit. Working method' has shed light on how underground communities share information about vulnerability exploitation and hacking techniques. The post, written by an actor using the name 'Hercules', provides a rare glimpse into the mindset of threat actors and their tactics.
Researchers from Flare analyzed the original post and the responses over a period of a few months, revealing that the thread's influence extended beyond the initial post, with multiple users thanking 'Hercules' and seeking guidance on how to move from theoretical learning to practical hacking.
The Tutorial's Content
The tutorial covers the process of scanning, detecting, assessing, exploiting, and monetizing vulnerabilities in the wild. 'Hercules' explains how to search for newly disclosed vulnerabilities, identify exposed systems, and decide whether to report, sell, or exploit the findings.
Three key aspects of the tutorial stand out: the use of the Nuclei framework, the understanding of the challenges defenders face when patching newly discovered vulnerabilities, and the division of the tutorial into 'legal' and 'illegal' parts, allowing readers to choose their path.
The Nuclei Framework and Vulnerability Disclosure
The Nuclei framework, developed by projectdiscovery.io, is a highly popular tool among offensive security practitioners. The tutorial highlights the importance of understanding the challenges defenders face when patching newly discovered vulnerabilities, a topic further discussed in an educational blog by Yakir Kadkoda and Ilay Goldman.
The Monetization Layer
The most intriguing part of the method is the monetization logic. 'Hercules' describes several actions that can be taken once a vulnerability is discovered, including approaching the owner of the server/website or hosting company for payment, offering the finding on underground markets, or exploiting the vulnerability and detecting what's on the server.
Remote code execution can become access sold to botnet operators, used for illicit resource abuse, or leveraged for data theft. 'Hercules' describes himself as a hacker rather than a fraudster, preferring to sell quickly instead of conducting downstream fraud.
The Forum Reaction
The replies to the thread show that the post resonated with users because it offered experience and confidence, not just information. Users repeatedly asked for private contact, mentorship, and additional guidance, demonstrating a demand for practical mentorship and a desire to learn from experienced hackers.
Why This Matters for Defenders
This tutorial highlights three key aspects of a vulnerability program: critical and reachable vulnerabilities are highly targeted, the long tail of old vulnerabilities matters, and paid vulnerability disclosure programs can motivate hackers to disclose vulnerabilities rather than selling them on the dark web.
The thread is significant not because it introduces a new hacking technique, but because it demonstrates how cybercrime scales through simplification. 'Hercules' takes a complex topic and turns it into a practical business workflow that beginners can understand, making illegal activity feel achievable.
The replies show that this approach works, with users who were unsure, inexperienced, or frustrated by theory responding with interest. Cybercriminal capability grows not only through elite malware development or zero-day exploitation but also through accessible tutorials, mentorship, public tooling, and communities that make illegal activity feel achievable.
- Critical and reachable vulnerabilities are highly targeted.
- The long tail of old vulnerabilities matters.
- Paid vulnerability disclosure programs can motivate hackers to disclose vulnerabilities.
Source: BleepingComputer