Exploring the Most Interesting Bug Bounty Programs of Q1 2023: Opportunities and Rewards for Skilled Bug Hunters
Introduction
Bug bounty programs have become increasingly popular in recent years, as companies look for ways to identify and address security vulnerabilities in their products and services. Bug bounty programs incentivize security researchers and hackers to find and report vulnerabilities, and offer rewards for those who do so. In this article, we will explore some of the most interesting bug bounty programs in the first quarter of 2023.
Apple Bug Bounty Program
Apple’s bug bounty program offers rewards for vulnerabilities in its products and services, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and iCloud. Rewards range from $100,000 to $1,500,000, depending on the severity and impact of the vulnerability. Apple also offers additional rewards for bugs that are particularly impressive or difficult-to-find.
The Apple bug bounty program has been in operation since 2016, and has paid out over $3 million in rewards to bug hunters around the world. In 2022, Apple announced that it had expanded its bug bounty program to include all of its operating systems and iCloud, and had increased the maximum reward for vulnerabilities to $1.5 million, up from $1 million.
The Apple bug bounty program is open to anyone who meets the program’s eligibility requirements. To be eligible, bug hunters must be at least 18 years old, must not be residents of a country that is subject to US sanctions or export controls, and must not be employed by or affiliated with a government or law enforcement agency.
Bug hunters who discover vulnerabilities in Apple’s products and services can submit them through the Apple bug bounty program page. Apple has a team of security experts who review all submissions and determine whether they qualify for a reward.
Google Bug Bounty Program
Google’s bug bounty program offers rewards for vulnerabilities in a range of different products and services, including Google Search, Google Chrome, Android, and Google Cloud Platform. Rewards range from $100 to $31,337, depending on the severity and impact of the vulnerability. Google also offers additional rewards for bugs that are particularly impressive or difficult-to-find, as well as recognition on its website.
The Google bug bounty program has been in operation since 2010, and has paid out millions of dollars in rewards to bug hunters around the world. In 2022, Google announced that it had paid out over $15 million in rewards over the previous year alone.
The Google bug bounty program is open to anyone who meets the program’s eligibility requirements. To be eligible, bug hunters must be at least 18 years old, must not be residents of a country that is subject to US sanctions or export controls, and must not be employed by or affiliated with a government or law enforcement agency.
Bug hunters who discover vulnerabilities in Google’s products and services can submit them through the Google bug bounty program page. Google has a team of security experts who review all submissions and determine whether they qualify for a reward.
In addition to its standard bug bounty program, Google also runs a separate program for vulnerabilities in its Chrome browser. The Chrome Vulnerability Reward Program offers rewards ranging from $500 to $15,000 for vulnerabilities in the browser, as well as bonuses for particularly impressive or difficult-to-find bugs.
Microsoft Bug Bounty Program
Microsoft’s bug bounty program offers rewards for vulnerabilities in a range of different products and services, including Windows, Office 365, and Azure. Rewards range from $500 to $250,000, depending on the severity and impact of the vulnerability. Microsoft also offers additional rewards for bugs that are particularly impressive or difficult-to-find, as well as recognition on its website.
The Microsoft bug bounty program has been in operation since 2013, and has paid out over $5 million in rewards to bug hunters around the world. In 2022, Microsoft announced that it had expanded its bug bounty program to include vulnerabilities in its GitHub platform, and had increased the maximum reward for vulnerabilities to $250,000, up from $100,000.
The Microsoft bug bounty program is open to anyone who meets the program’s eligibility requirements. To be eligible, bug hunters must be at least 14 years old, must not be residents of a country that is subject to US sanctions or export controls, and must not be employed by or affiliated with a government or law enforcement agency.
Bug hunters who discover vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s products and services can submit them through the Microsoft bug bounty program page. Microsoft has a team of security experts who review all submissions and determine whether they qualify for a reward.
Facebook Bug Bounty Program
Facebook’s bug bounty program offers rewards for vulnerabilities in its platform, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus. Rewards range from $500 to $50,000, depending on the severity and impact of the vulnerability. Facebook also offers additional rewards for bugs that are particularly impressive or difficult-to-find, as well as recognition on its website.
The Facebook bug bounty program has been in operation since 2011, and has paid out millions of dollars in rewards to bug hunters around the world. In 2022, Facebook announced that it had paid out over $20 million in rewards over the previous year alone.
The Facebook bug bounty program is open to anyone who meets the program’s eligibility requirements. To be eligible, bug hunters must be at least 18 years old, must not be residents of a country that is subject to US sanctions or export controls, and must not be employed by or affiliated with a government or law enforcement agency.
Bug hunters who discover vulnerabilities in Facebook’s platform can submit them through the Facebook bug bounty program page. Facebook has a team of security experts who review all submissions and determine whether they qualify for a reward.
Tesla Bug Bounty Program
Tesla’s bug bounty program offers rewards for vulnerabilities in its vehicles, mobile app, and website. Rewards range from $100 to $15,000, depending on the severity and impact of the vulnerability. Tesla also offers additional rewards for bugs that are particularly impressive or difficult-to-find.
The Tesla bug bounty program has been in operation since 2014, and has paid out over $1 million in rewards to bug hunters around the world. In 2022, Tesla announced that it had expanded its bug bounty program to include vulnerabilities in its charging infrastructure, and had increased the maximum reward for vulnerabilities to $15,000, up from $10,000.
The Tesla bug bounty program is open to anyone who meets the program’s eligibility requirements. To be eligible, bug hunters must not be residents of a country that is subject to US sanctions or export controls, and must not be employed by or affiliated with a government or law enforcement agency.
Bug hunters who discover vulnerabilities in Tesla’s products and services can submit them through the Tesla bug bounty program page. Tesla has a team of security experts who review all submissions and determine whether they qualify for a reward.
Netflix Bug Bounty Program
Netflix’s bug bounty program offers rewards for vulnerabilities in its platform, including its streaming service and mobile apps. Rewards range from $100 to $15,000, depending on the severity and impact of the vulnerability. Netflix also offers additional rewards for bugs that are particularly impressive or difficult-to-find.
The Netflix bug bounty program has been in operation since 2013, and has paid out over $1 million in rewards to bug hunters around the world. In 2022, Netflix announced that it had expanded its bug bounty program to include vulnerabilities in its content delivery network, and had increased the maximum reward for vulnerabilities to $15,000, up from $10. The Netflix bug bounty program is open to anyone who meets the program’s eligibility requirements. To be eligible, bug hunters must not be residents of a country that is subject to US sanctions or export controls, and must not be employed by or affiliated with a government or law enforcement agency.
Bug hunters who discover vulnerabilities in Netflix’s platform can submit them through the Netflix bug bounty program page. Netflix has a team of security experts who review all submissions and determine whether they qualify for a reward.
Most Popoular Bug Bounty Platforms over the world
Bugcrowd Bug Bounty Program
Bugcrowd is a crowdsourced security company that offers a bug bounty program platform for businesses and organizations. The Bugcrowd platform connects businesses with a network of over 200,000 security researchers who can identify and report vulnerabilities in their products and services.
The Bugcrowd platform offers a range of customizable bug bounty programs, including public, private, and on-demand programs. Businesses can set their own rewards and determine the scope of their bug bounty program.
Bugcrowd also offers a range of tools and services to help businesses manage their bug bounty program, including vulnerability reporting and triage, communication and collaboration with researchers, and analytics and reporting.
Bugcrowd’s clients include a wide range of businesses and organizations, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Some of its notable clients include Atlassian, Western Union, and Starbucks.
HackerOne Bug Bounty Program
HackerOne is another crowdsourced security company that offers a bug bounty program platform for businesses and organizations. The HackerOne platform connects businesses with a network of over 3.5 million ethical hackers who can identify and report vulnerabilities in their products and services.
The HackerOne platform offers a range of customizable bug bounty programs, including public, private, and on-demand programs. Businesses can set their own rewards and determine the scope of their bug bounty program.
Bug Zero
Bug Zero is another crowdsourced security company that offers a bug bounty platform for businesses and organizations. The Bug Zero platform connects businesses with a network of security researchers who can identify and report vulnerabilities in their products and services.
The Bug Zero platform offers a range of customizable bug bounty programs, including public, private, and on-demand programs. Businesses can set their own rewards and determine the scope of their bug bounty program. Bug Zero also offers a range of features and tools to help businesses manage their bug bounty program, including vulnerability reporting and triage, communication and collaboration with researchers, and analytics and reporting.
Bug Zero differentiates itself from other bug bounty platforms by offering a unique approach to vulnerability triage. Bug Zero’s team of experienced security analysts manually verify each vulnerability submission, and provide detailed reports that include reproductions of the vulnerability, proof-of-concept code, and recommendations for remediation.
Conclusion
Bug bounty programs are an essential tool for identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in software and systems. By incentivizing security researchers to identify and report vulnerabilities, bug bounty programs enable organizations to identify and address security issues before they can be exploited by malicious actors.
The bug bounty programs discussed in this article are just a few examples of the many programs available to security researchers. Each program has its own eligibility requirements, rewards structure, and submission guidelines, so it is important for bug hunters to carefully review the program guidelines before submitting any vulnerabilities.
Overall, bug bounty programs offer a win-win scenario for both organizations and security researchers. Organizations are able to identify and address vulnerabilities in their products and services, while security researchers are able to earn rewards for their efforts and contribute to a safer online environment.
As technology continues to evolve and new vulnerabilities are discovered, it is likely that bug bounty programs will continue to play an important role in securing our digital landscape. By encouraging collaboration and incentivizing responsible disclosure, bug bounty programs are helping to make the internet a safer place for everyone.
References:
Bug Zero is a bug bounty, crowdsourcing platform for security testing. The platform is the intermediatory entity that enables client organizations to publish their service endpoints so that bug hunters (security researchers / ethical hackers) registered in the platform can start testing the endpoints without any upfront charge. Bug hunters can start testing as soon as a client organization publishes a new program. Bug Zero also offers private bug bounty programs for organizations with high-security requirements.
Bug Zero is available for both hackers and organizations.
For organizations and hackers, register with Bug Zero for free, and let’s make cyberspace safe.
