{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/openai-raises-bug-bounty-rewards-to-172-000-and-plans-security-sprint","json":"https://digestai.news/story/openai-raises-bug-bounty-rewards-to-172-000-and-plans-security-sprint.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/openai-raises-bug-bounty-rewards-to-172-000-and-plans-security-sprint.md","slug":"openai-raises-bug-bounty-rewards-to-172-000-and-plans-security-sprint","headline":"OpenAI raises bug bounty rewards to $172,000 and plans security sprint","summary":"OpenAI announced on November 2, 2026, that it is organizing a new internal security sprint in collaboration with Cathedral and other external researchers. This planned initiative aims to use OpenAI’s models alongside internal teams to identify weaknesses and test defenses. Simultaneously, the company updated its bug bounty program, significantly increasing rewards for independent researchers. The midpoint of reward ranges for medium, high, and critical findings has more than quadrupled. A critical vulnerability in core products like ChatGPT or the API Platform can now earn up to $30,000, while exceptional critical findings may reach $100,000 before bonuses. With new quality and loyalty multipliers, total payouts for exceptional cases can reach $172,000.\n\nThe update follows a previous internal effort where OpenAI dedicated 25% of its product engineers to security, mobilizing over 250 people across more than 100 service areas. That earlier sprint closed 53 urgent or high-priority issues on its first day and utilized Codex for remediation, achieving a 0.53% rolled-back fix rate. OpenAI emphasized that its \"Defense Factory\" approach requires verified deployment of fixes, not just ticket closure, to ensure actual security improvements.\n\nAdditionally, OpenAI is extending its Daybreak program, which provides subsidized access to its most capable models for authorized defensive work. A $1 billion commitment announced in September 2026 supports this effort, targeting resource-constrained U.S. defenders of essential services. Thousands of defenders across 2,000 approved organizations already use Daybreak, including cybersecurity firms and law enforcement agencies.","keyPoints":["OpenAI raised critical bug bounty rewards to $30,000, with exceptional cases reaching $172,000 including bonuses.","A new security sprint with Cathedral will use OpenAI models to challenge defenses and find weaknesses.","OpenAI's previous internal effort closed 53 urgent issues on day one using Codex for remediation."],"whyItMatters":"Higher bounties incentivize external researchers to find vulnerabilities, while the agent-first defense model demonstrates how AI can automate security patching and verification at scale.","category":{"slug":"business","name":"Business & Funding","url":"https://digestai.news/category/business"},"entities":{"companies":["OpenAI","Cathedral"],"models":["Codex","ChatGPT"],"people":["Gavin Kliger"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-11-03T06:02:04Z","updatedAt":"2026-11-03T06:02:04Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"Unite.AI","title":"OpenAI Plans New Security Sprint and Raises Bug Bounty Rewards","url":"https://unite.ai/openai-plans-new-security-sprint-and-raises-bug-bounty-rewards","publishedAt":"2026-11-03T06:02:04Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"OpenAI raises bug bounty rewards to $172,000 and plans security sprint\", 3 November 2026, https://digestai.news/story/openai-raises-bug-bounty-rewards-to-172-000-and-plans-security-sprint","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"OpenAI raises bug bounty rewards to $172,000 and plans security sprint","datePublished":"2026-11-03T06:02:04Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/openai-raises-bug-bounty-rewards-to-172-000-and-plans-security-sprint"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}