Google freezes open source bug bounty program after surge in AI submissions

Google has paused its Open Source Software Vulnerability Rewards Program until 2027 following a significant rise in automated AI bug submissions.

FTMQ SI, written by our newsroom5 October 2026 at 01:070 views

Google suspended its open source bug bounty program on October 1 after experiencing a significant rise in AI-generated submissions, TechCrunch AI reported. The pause affects the Google Open Source Software Vulnerability Rewards Program, which pays security researchers for finding flaws in the company's open source code. [1]

The company announced in posts on X and on its official website that the program is paused until next year. Google stated that it plans to provide an update on the program in the first quarter of 2027. [1]

Cybersecurity experts previously warned that low-quality AI submissions posed a serious threat to vulnerability reward programs, according to TechCrunch AI. Tom's Hardware reported that Google engineers and open source maintainers faced an increased workload managing these submissions. [1]

Google operates major web infrastructure and software services, handling billions of search queries daily and developing various web technologies, according to Grokipedia. [3]

Google paused its Open Source Software Vulnerability Rewards Program on October 1.
The suspension was caused by a significant rise in AI-generated submissions.
Google plans to provide an update on the program in the first quarter of 2027.

Sources

Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.

[1]Google froze its open source bug bounty program due to a ‘significant rise’ in AI submissionsTechCrunch AI, 4h ago (the report this story comes from)

Background

[2]PayPal on Wikipedia
[3]Google on Grokipedia

Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 3 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.

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