GitHub will start paying some bug bounty hunters in swag instead of cash

GitHub announced it will start paying some bug bounty hunters with swag instead of cash. This change affects how independent security researchers are rewarded for finding vulnerabilities. The shift may impact the motivation and participation in GitHub's bug bounty program.

ArchiveMarketHigh-signal source

Signal trust

High-signal sourceSingle sourceEarly signal

Market reactionMSFT ↑ +0.17% by next close

Before $422.96After $423.70

PublishedMonday, May 18, 2026 at 9:01 PMMay 18, 09:01 PM

FreshnessArchive

Story ID#3244

Back to feed Original report

Original article excerpt

Server-side extracted preview paragraphs from the original source.

GitHub is tightening its bug bounty program standards as AI-assisted vulnerability reports overwhelm security teams with low-quality submissions.

The source page did not expose a stable readable article body, so only the AI summary is available for now.

Opening the briefing

GitHub will start paying some bug bounty hunters in swag instead of cash

Original article excerpt

Signal trust

Related stories

Opening the briefing

GitHub will start paying some bug bounty hunters in swag instead of cash

Original article excerpt

Signal trust

Related stories

The SpaceX IPO is great for Elon Musk and terrible for you

What happens when companies become too AI-pilled?

Yes, you should remove your data from the internet - and our favorite service is 55% off

ExpressVPN blows away the competition on security audits - but what do they mean?