Course 3 - Mastering Nuclei for Bug Bounty | Episode 1: Nuclei: Installation, Template Setup, and First Scan

In this lesson, you’ll learn about:Nuclei — definition & purpose: a template‑based automated vulnerability scanner written in Go, designed for fast, customizable scanning, mass hunting, and CI/CD integration.Claims & note: community descriptions sometimes state very low false‑positive rates; always validate findings in-scope before reporting.Supported template types: HTTP, DNS, TCP, and file‑based templates (organized by categories like CVEs, misconfiguration, takeovers, fuzzing).Templates are the core: templates are YAML files that define checks; most are community‑maintained in the official GitHub repo and can be auto‑downloaded or installed manually (git clone / ZIP).Installation methods: primary method uses Go (requires Go ≥ 1.18); alternatives include Homebrew (Mac) or Docker. Verify install by running nuclei -h.First run / basic CLI usage: scans require a template (-t) and a target URL (-u with protocol). Omitting -t runs all templates — avoid this on live targets to prevent excessive requests.Practical example: running the technologies template category can reveal informational details such as PHP and Nginx (EngineX) versions on a target.Operational best practices: always limit templates to relevant checks, respect target scope/authorization, throttle requests when needed, and validate any automated findings manually.Integration: Nuclei works well in automation pipelines for continuous scanning, and users can write custom templates to match unique testing needs.Analogy (teaching aid): Nuclei = the locksmith’s toolkit (binary) and templates = custom lockpicks — pick the right template (-t) for the target lock (-u) instead of trying the whole box.You can listen and download our episodes for free on more than 10 different platforms:https://linktr.ee/cybercode_academy