Microsoft's Zero Day Quest 2026: A $5M Bug Bounty Challenge

TL;DR

Microsoft is relaunching its live hacking contest, Zero Day Quest, in spring 2026 with a bounty of up to $5 million for uncovering critical security flaws in cloud and AI systems. Researchers can submit vulnerabilities from August 4 to October 4, 2025, with top findings earning bonuses and invitations to an exclusive live hacking event.

Microsoft’s Zero Day Quest Returns with a $5 Million Bounty

Microsoft has announced the return of its live hacking contest, Zero Day Quest, in spring 2026, offering up to $5 million in rewards. This competition aims to highlight researchers who uncover significant security vulnerabilities in cloud and AI systems. This marks the second iteration of the event, following the initial contest where Microsoft awarded $1.6 million for identifying major security flaws.

Expanded Bounty and Research Focus

According to the announcement by Microsoft, this year’s Zero Day Quest features increased potential bounty awards, totaling up to $5 million for high-impact research in cloud and AI security. The event is touted as the largest public hacking event ever, assembling top global security researchers to enhance worldwide security.

Submission Period and Live Hacking Event

From August 4 to October 4, 2025, security researchers can participate in Microsoft’s Zero Day Quest Research Challenge by submitting vulnerabilities in various Microsoft products, including Azure, Copilot, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Identity, and M365. Exceptional findings may receive a +50% bounty bonus and an invitation to the exclusive Live Hacking Event in spring 2026 at Microsoft’s Redmond campus. This event will bring together leading experts to collaborate with Microsoft product teams and the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) to advance security measures.

Public Disclosure and Secure Future Initiative

Microsoft encourages researchers to publicly share their findings after fixes are implemented, with support provided for blogs, podcasts, and videos. As part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), Microsoft will disclose critical vulnerabilities through the CVE program, even if no user action is required. Insights from Zero Day Quest will be shared internally to bolster cloud and AI security, in line with SFI’s principles.

In alignment with Microsoft’s Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD), researchers are encouraged to discuss their findings publicly once mitigated, with support from Microsoft through various media channels.

Follow for Updates

For more updates, follow @securityaffairs on Twitter, Facebook, and Mastodon.

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Conclusion

Microsoft’s Zero Day Quest 2026 represents a significant step in enhancing cybersecurity by incentivizing researchers to identify and report critical vulnerabilities. This initiative not only strengthens Microsoft’s security posture but also contributes to the broader security community by promoting transparency and collaboration.

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