Cloud Security Podcast by Google EP253 The Craft of Cloud Bug Hunting: Writing Winning Reports and Secrets from a VRP Champion
Nov 24, 2025
Sivanesh Ashok and Sreeram KL, both accomplished bug bounty hunters and top contributors to Google's Cloud Vulnerability Reward Program, share their expertise on cloud security. They discuss the art of writing clear and effective bug reports, emphasizing reproducibility to aid triage. The duo dives into the dynamics of collaboration in bug hunting and how to navigate volatility in the field. They reveal insights on targeting integration bugs and offer invaluable advice for aspiring hunters: consistency, patience, and a deep understanding of threat models.
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Make Triage Effortless
- When writing reports, prioritize making triage and reproduction trivial for the responder.
- Provide clear reproduction steps first, then include deeper technical root-cause details if needed.
Collaboration Multiplies Effectiveness
- Full-time collaboration multiplies bug-finding effectiveness and reduces knowledge hoarding.
- Sharing all techniques removes incentives to hide tricks and increases overall yield.
Spreadsheets Battle Volatility
- They keep multiple spreadsheets of ideas and previously found but unreported bugs.
- When hunting slows, they pull these notes to file reports and reduce volatility.