cURL Ends Bug Bounty Program: A Shift in Focus
The maintainer of the popular open-source data transfer tool, cURL, has decided to end its bug bounty program. This decision comes after a surge of AI-generated contributions created challenges for assessment.
Key Highlights:
- Daniel Stenberg’s Stance: The “Curler-in-chief” announced the end of the program with a GitHub commit titled “BUG-BOUNTY.md” effective January 2026.
- Struggles with AI Contributions: Since early 2024, Stenberg noticed an influx of AI-generated bug reports, raising concerns over quality.
- Quality Over Quantity: Despite some useful contributions, most submissions lacked detailed vulnerability descriptions. Stenberg hopes to reduce “noise” by eliminating financial incentives.
- Encouragement for Genuine Reports: Developers are still urged to submit actual security vulnerabilities, emphasizing understanding and reproducibility.
Stenberg balances accountability with compassion, recognizing the potential for growth in contributors. Join the conversation—share your thoughts! Have you faced similar challenges in your projects? Let’s discuss!
