How to Get Your First CVE as a Beginner: A Practical, Real-World Guide

December 17, 2025 • 5 min read

A beginner-friendly, real-world guide explaining how new security researchers can earn their first CVE by focusing on open-source projects, simple vulnerabilities, and responsible disclosure.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This article is written strictly for educational purposes. All activities described here should only be performed on systems you own, open-source projects, or targets where you have explicit authorization. Always follow responsible disclosure practices and applicable laws.

Introduction

For many people entering cybersecurity, the journey begins with bug bounties. You find a reflected XSS here, an IDOR there, maybe earn a small payout-or maybe receive a familiar “duplicate, thanks.”

At some point, a different goal appears:

“I don’t just want bounties. I want a CVE. I want my name in MITRE.”

That goal is not unrealistic. In fact, for beginners, getting a CVE is often more achievable than consistently earning bug bounty payouts-if you approach it the right way.

This guide is based on a real researcher’s experience and reframed into a structured, practical walkthrough. It avoids theory-heavy explanations and focuses instead on how beginners actually succeed in getting their first CVE.

What a CVE Really Is (And Why It Matters)

A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifier is a globally recognized ID assigned to a publicly disclosed security vulnerability.

A CVE exists to ensure that:

A vulnerability is uniquely tracked worldwide
Vendors and users can coordinate fixes
Security tools (NVD, scanners, advisories) can reference it
Researchers receive permanent public credit

Unlike bug bounty reports, which often remain private, a CVE is public, permanent, and historical. Your name becomes associated with the vulnerability across:

MITRE
NVD
GitHub advisories
Vendor changelogs
Security research blogs

Bug bounties may pay money.
CVE credits build long-term reputation.

Bug Bounty vs CVE: A Reality Check

Bug bounty hunting and CVE research overlap technically-but they differ in outcome and mindset.

Bug bounty

Target: a specific company
Scope: limited to their assets
Outcome: private fix, possible reward
Visibility: usually none

CVE

Target: software or libraries used by many
Scope: global impact
Outcome: public disclosure and recognition
Visibility: permanent

Bug bounty rewards effort sometimes.
CVE credits effort forever.

For beginners especially, CVEs offer a clearer, more achievable path to recognition.

Where Beginners Should Actually Hunt

One of the biggest mistakes new researchers make is aiming too high, too fast.

You don’t need:

Kernel exploits
Router firmware bugs
Enterprise appliances

Instead, start where success is realistic.

Beginner-friendly CVE targets

Small open-source GitHub repositories
Projects with 100–1000 stars
WordPress plugins
Node.js / Express applications
Python Flask or Django projects
PHP-based tools
npm or pip packages
Open-source Android apps

These projects often:

Lack full security audits
Have simple logic flaws
Are maintained by approachable developers
Welcome security help

Small project ≠ small impact.

Cyberpunk illustration of a security researcher with a glowing laptop in a server room, pointing at a screen showing an open-source project on GitHub, with code snippets and network diagrams in neon colors.

What Vulnerabilities Commonly Become CVEs

A common myth is that CVEs require extreme exploitation.

In reality, many CVEs are assigned for simple but impactful issues, such as:

Missing authentication
Default credentials
IDOR in open-source APIs
Information disclosure
Broken password reset logic
Hardcoded secrets
Insecure file upload
Directory traversal
SSRF
Unsafe configuration defaults

If you already hunt bug bounties, you likely know how to find these.

The difference is where you apply the skill.

Your CVE Hunting Toolkit

You do not need exotic tools.

A simple setup is enough:

Burp Suite or an intercepting proxy
Postman or curl
VS Code
GitHub search
A local test environment
Curiosity and patience

If you can test a bug bounty target, you can test an open-source project.

The Step-by-Step CVE Roadmap

This is where beginners usually fail-not because it’s hard, but because no one explains it clearly.

Cyberpunk-themed visual roadmap infographic showing a glowing path with five stages from choosing a target to getting a CVE ID, marked with neon icons and arrows on a circuit board background.

Step 1: Pick a realistic project

Avoid massive, heavily audited codebases.
Choose something small, functional, and actively used.

Examples:

“Simple CRM”
“Open-Source Inventory Tool”
“File Upload Service”
“Authentication Boilerplate”

Logic bugs thrive here.

Step 2: Run it locally

This is where CVE hunting becomes powerful.

Locally, you have:

No rate limits
No WAF
Full code access
Full endpoint visibility

You can test freely, safely, and deeply.

Step 3: Test like a bug bounty target

Once running, attack it exactly as you would a real application:

Test authentication boundaries
Check role separation
Inspect APIs
Try IDOR scenarios
Abuse password resets
Look for direct file access
Explore hidden routes
Inspect configs and backups

Many first-time CVEs come from moments like:

“Wait… this endpoint has no auth at all.”

That’s not luck. That’s observation.

Step 4: Document professionally

Good documentation matters more than fancy exploitation.

Your report should clearly include:

Affected component and version
Steps to reproduce
Impact explanation
Sanitized evidence
Suggested remediation

Professionalism builds trust.

Step 5: Contact the developer respectfully

A simple message works:

“Hi, I’ve been using your project and discovered a security issue.
Would you like me to share details privately? I can also assist with a CVE if you’re open to it.”

Most maintainers appreciate this approach.

Step 6: CVE assignment

Two paths exist:

The maintainer assigns a CVE (if they are a CNA)
You request one directly from MITRE

MITRE’s process is formal, not hostile.
Clear details + cooperation usually lead to success.

What Happens After Your First CVE

A CVE changes how people perceive you.

Suddenly, you are:

A published researcher
Searchable in MITRE and NVD
Referenced by scanners and advisories
Taken seriously by recruiters

It is not about ego-it’s about credibility.

Cyberpunk illustration of a large, glowing digital advisory board in a futuristic city square displaying a researcher's name next to a published CVE ID from MITRE and NVD, with people admiring it.

Common Beginner Fears (And Why They’re Wrong)

“My bug isn’t big enough”

Many CVEs are simple issues with broad impact.

“I’m not experienced enough”

Experience comes from doing-not waiting.

“Developers won’t take me seriously”

Professional communication changes everything.

Final Thoughts

Getting a CVE is not reserved for elite hackers.
It is reserved for curious, consistent, and respectful researchers.

If you can find bugs in bug bounty programs, you can find vulnerabilities in open-source software-often faster, with more impact, and with permanent recognition.

Your first CVE is closer than you think.

Go hunt.
Go break things legally.
Go leave your mark on the internet.