● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Bug Bounty Programs Face Challenges from AI-Generated Submissions, Quality Improves for curl
Key points
- curl ended its paid bounty program due to low quality submissions.
- Confirmed vulnerabilities in curl's program dropped below 5% in 2025.
- Google paused some supply chain submissions due to similar issues.
- curl later saw submission quality improve, with 15-16% confirmed vulnerabilities.
Challenges in Bug Bounty Programs
Bug bounty programs allow security researchers to test software for flaws and receive compensation. However, some programs have experienced difficulties due to a surge in low-quality or AI-generated submissions. This trend increases the workload for development teams who must review and verify each report, even if it describes an imaginary vulnerability.
curl's Experience with Submission Quality
curl, a widely used data transfer tool, ended its paid bounty program on January 31, 2026, citing a deterioration in submission quality. Maintainer Daniel Stenberg noted that the rate of confirmed vulnerabilities fell from over 15% in previous years to below 5% starting in 2025. Over its lifetime, the program identified 87 confirmed vulnerabilities and paid researchers more than $100,000.
Broader Industry Impact
Google also implemented a pause on certain supply chain submissions, though its wider vulnerability rewards programs continue to operate, having paid researchers $17.1 million in 2025. These actions indicate pressure on specific program areas rather than a universal shutdown of bug bounty opportunities.
Improvement in curl's Submission Quality
In April, Stenberg reported a positive shift in curl's submission quality, with the percentage of confirmed vulnerabilities returning to approximately 15% to 16%. He observed that extensive AI use was present in these improved reports, indicating that AI can be a tool for finding real problems, though the volume of submissions still creates work for maintainers.
Implications for New Bug Hunters
For individuals learning cybersecurity and interested in bug bounties, the key takeaway is the importance of verifying findings. While AI can assist in generating reports, the responsibility remains with the researcher to provide solid evidence and confirm the validity of any claimed vulnerability.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
Some bug bounty programs, like curl's, have faced issues with declining submission quality due to AI-generated reports, leading to program pauses or closures. However, curl's program has seen an improvement in submission quality, with confirmed vulnerabilities returning to previous levels, despite continued AI use in reports. This highlights the importance of verifying findings for aspiring bug hunters.