Google has paused its open-source software bug bounty program, citing a “significant rise” in automated AI-related submissions, most of which were invalid.
The company said in posts on X and the program website that the pause took effect on October 1. It promised to provide “an update” in the first quarter of 2027.
Google engineers and open-source maintainers were overwhelmed by reports that were invalid or contained hallucinations, according to Tom’s Hardware.
“This pause is due to a significant rise in automated submissions, the vast majority of which are not valid,” Google said.
The Open Source Software Vulnerability Rewards Program rewarded researchers for finding vulnerabilities in Google’s open-source software. Last year, TechCrunch reported that cybersecurity experts warned AI-generated “slop” posed a serious risk to bug bounty programs.
Google encouraged participants to consider its other bug bounty programs during the pause.
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