|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: "Google Hacking: The Ultimate Recon Mindset & Cheat Sheet" |
| 3 | +description: > |
| 4 | + Google hacking isn’t about fancy queries — it’s about seeing the internet like an attacker. |
| 5 | + This guide builds your recon mindset, then arms you with the strongest dorks to uncover exposed secrets, forgotten files, and hidden doors. |
| 6 | +author: |
| 7 | +name: |
| 8 | +date: 2025-07-07 18:00:00 +0000 |
| 9 | +categories: [Pentesting] |
| 10 | +tags: [googlehacking, recon, mindset, dorking, intelligence] |
| 11 | +--- |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +> *"The best recon artists don’t just use Google. They think like Google."* |
| 14 | +{: .prompt-tip } |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +--- |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +## Phase 0 — Think Like a Recon Ninja |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +- **Expand your mental model:** The internet is a giant indexed database of human mistakes. |
| 21 | +- **Less noise, more signal:** Craft tight, targeted queries instead of blasting keywords. |
| 22 | +- **Chase relationships:** Don’t just find a file figure out *why it’s there*, who owns it, and what else they forgot. |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +> Tools change. Mindset stays. |
| 25 | +{: .prompt-info } |
| 26 | + |
| 27 | +--- |
| 28 | + |
| 29 | +## Phase 1 — Master the Core Google Operators |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +| Operator | Description | Example | |
| 32 | +|----------------|-------------|---------| |
| 33 | +| `inurl:` | Finds keywords anywhere in the URL. | `inurl:admin` | |
| 34 | +| `site:` | Limits search to a specific site or TLD. | `site:gov` | |
| 35 | +| `filetype:` | Looks only for specific file types. | `filetype:pdf` | |
| 36 | +| `intext:` | Searches body content. | `intext:"confidential"` | |
| 37 | +| `intitle:` | Searches page titles. | `intitle:"index of"` | |
| 38 | +| `allinurl:` | All words must be in URL. | `allinurl:backup zip` | |
| 39 | +| `related:` | Find similar sites. | `related:bbc.com` | |
| 40 | +| `info:` | Get cache and info Google has. | `info:example.com` | |
| 41 | +| `link:` | Pages that link to a URL. | `link:target.com` | |
| 42 | +| `"..."` | Exact phrase match. | `"internal use only"` | |
| 43 | +| `-` | Exclude words. | `admin -login` | |
| 44 | +| `OR` `|` | Find either word. | `dev OR stage` | |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +--- |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +## Phase 2 — Stack Queries Like a Pro |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +> *"True power comes from combining operators."* |
| 51 | +{: .prompt-tip } |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +| Example Query | What it Does | |
| 54 | +|---------------|--------------| |
| 55 | +| `site:gov filetype:xls "password"` | Searches for Excel files on government sites containing passwords. | |
| 56 | +| `inurl:admin intitle:login` | Finds admin login pages. | |
| 57 | +| `"index of /backup"` | Discovers open directory listings of backups. | |
| 58 | +| `inurl:.git "index of"` | Finds publicly exposed Git repos. | |
| 59 | +| `filetype:sql intext:password` | Looks for SQL dumps with possible creds. | |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +--- |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +## Phase 3 — Target High-Risk Files & Endpoints |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +### Dork Targets to Prioritize |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +- `filetype:pdf inurl:confidential` |
| 68 | +- `filetype:xls inurl:financial` |
| 69 | +- `filetype:doc inurl:invoice` |
| 70 | +- `filetype:log inurl:admin` |
| 71 | +- `intitle:"index of" "backup"` |
| 72 | +- `inurl:/phpmyadmin/` |
| 73 | +- `inurl:/wp-admin/` |
| 74 | +- `inurl:/etc/passwd` |
| 75 | +- `filetype:env | filetype:log | filetype:sql` |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +> *"Every file on Google was put there by mistake or by design. You win by knowing which is which."* |
| 78 | +{: .prompt-info } |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +--- |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +## Phase 4 — Quick Reference CLI Dorking |
| 83 | + |
| 84 | +### ddgr (DuckDuckGo CLI) |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | +```bash |
| 87 | +ddgr 'inurl:admin intitle:login site:.gov' |
| 88 | +ddgr 'intitle:"index of" passwd' |
| 89 | +ddgr 'filetype:sql intext:dump site:.edu' |
| 90 | +ddgr 'inurl:wp-admin site:.fr | site:.ca | site:.us' |
| 91 | +ddgr 'ext:log | ext:env | ext:sql site:.com' |
| 92 | +```` |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | +--- |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +## Phase 5 — Target Vulnerable Parameters |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +| Type | Example Vulnerable Queries | | | |
| 99 | +| ----------------- | -------------------------- | -------------- | --------------- | |
| 100 | +| **XSS** | \`inurl\:q= | inurl\:search= | inurl\:query=\` | |
| 101 | +| **Open Redirect** | \`inurl\:redirect= | inurl\:next= | inurl\:url=\` | |
| 102 | +| **SQLi** | \`inurl\:id= | inurl\:cat= | inurl\:dir=\` | |
| 103 | +| **LFI** | \`inurl\:file= | inurl\:page= | inurl\:doc=\` | |
| 104 | +| **SSRF** | \`inurl\:http | inurl\:domain= | inurl\:url=\` | |
| 105 | +| **RCE** | \`inurl\:cmd= | inurl\:exec= | inurl\:run=\` | |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +> *"Don’t just scan. Follow the parameters. That’s where developers hide trust."* |
| 108 | +> {: .prompt-tip } |
| 109 | + |
| 110 | +--- |
| 111 | + |
| 112 | +## Phase 6 — Use Dedicated Dork Engines |
| 113 | + |
| 114 | +### 🛠 Supercharge with These |
| 115 | + |
| 116 | +* [DorkGPT](https://www.dorkgpt.com/) — generates tailored dorks by goal (passwords, backups, camera feeds). |
| 117 | +* [DorkSearch](https://dorksearch.com/) — lets you input targets and refine with easy operators. |
| 118 | +* [Exploit-DB GHDB](https://www.exploit-db.com/google-hacking-database) — thousands of proven dorks. |
| 119 | + |
| 120 | +> If Google starts throttling you, switch to DuckDuckGo or Yandex for a new index view. |
| 121 | +> {: .prompt-info } |
| 122 | + |
| 123 | +--- |
| 124 | + |
| 125 | +## Final Quotes to Burn Into Your Mind |
| 126 | + |
| 127 | +> **"Google is the biggest database of human mistakes ever created. Your job is to know how to ask."** |
| 128 | +> {: .prompt-tip } |
| 129 | + |
| 130 | +> **"Don’t hunt random data. Hunt assumptions. That’s where the real holes are."** |
| 131 | +> {: .prompt-tip } |
| 132 | + |
| 133 | +--- |
| 134 | + |
| 135 | +## Summary Checklist |
| 136 | + |
| 137 | +* [ ] Master advanced operators (`inurl`, `filetype`, `site`, `intitle`, etc.) |
| 138 | +* [ ] Build complex stacked queries for precision. |
| 139 | +* [ ] Hunt risky files: backups, .env, SQL dumps, logs. |
| 140 | +* [ ] Identify common vulnerable parameters. |
| 141 | +* [ ] Use tools like `ddgr`, `DorkGPT`, and `DorkSearch`. |
| 142 | +* [ ] Always ask: *Who put this online, and why?* |
| 143 | + |
| 144 | +> *"Google hacking is the art of finding what no one meant to show you."* |
| 145 | +> {: .prompt-tip } |
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