A forum thread titled “Hacking for Profit. Working method” offers a rare glance into how underground communities pass information about vulnerability exploitation and hacking techniques in a form of tutorial.
The post, written by an actor using the name "Hercules", is not especially long or technical."Its value lies in breaking down a complex process into clear, actionable steps. It covers how to scan, detect, assess, exploit, and monetize vulnerabilities in the wild, while also offering rare insight into the significance of vulnerability disclosure programs."
Flare researchers analyzed the original post along with the responses over a period of a few months. The activity around the thread shows that its influence was not limited to the original post. Multiple users thanked "Hercules", asked to connect privately, described themselves as beginners, or said they wanted guidance on how to move from theoretical learning to practical hacking. The response around the thread suggests that "Hercules" did more than describe a method.
This post was so popular that the same method was reposted and discussed across four additional forums. The threat actor gives novice threat actors a simple framework for understanding vulnerability exploitation and how to gain money from it.
