Microsoft Paid Out $2.3 Million at Zero Day Quest 2026 Hacking Contest

Microsoft's Zero Day Quest 2026 hacking contest, featuring a $5 million prize pool, resulted in $2.3 million in payouts to security researchers. Participants discovered over 80 high-impact vulnerabilities targeting cloud infrastructure and AI systems. This event represents a successful responsible disclosure initiative where ethical hackers collaborated with Microsoft to identify and remediate security weaknesses before malicious exploitation. The findings demonstrate ongoing security challenges in cloud and AI environments, reinforcing the importance of continuous vulnerability research and bug bounty programs. Organizations should leverage similar programs to proactively identify and address security gaps in their own cloud deployments.

Researchers found more than 80 high-impact cloud and AI vulnerabilities during the event, which had a $5 million prize pool. The post Microsoft Paid Out $2.3 Million at Zero Day Quest 2026 Hacking Contest appeared first on SecurityWeek .

Microsoft's Zero Day Quest 2026 hacking contest, featuring a $5 million prize pool, resulted in $2.3 million in payouts to security researchers. Participants discovered over 80 high-impact vulnerabilities targeting cloud infrastructure and AI systems. This event represents a successful responsible disclosure initiative where ethical hackers collaborated with Microsoft to identify and remediate security weaknesses before malicious exploitation. The findings demonstrate ongoing security challenges in cloud and AI environments, reinforcing the importance of continuous vulnerability research and bug bounty programs. Organizations should leverage similar programs to proactively identify and address security gaps in their own cloud deployments. Researchers found more than 80 high-impact cloud and AI vulnerabilities during the event, which had a $5 million prize pool. The post Microsoft Paid Out $2.3 Million at Zero Day Quest 2026 Hacking Contest appeared first on SecurityWeek . Researchers found more than 80 high-impact cloud and AI vulnerabilities during the event, which had a $5 million prize pool. The post Microsoft Paid Out $2.3 Million at Zero Day Quest 2026 Hacking Contest appeared first on SecurityWeek .