Microsoft Relaunches Zero Day Quest With $5 Million in Bounties for Critical AI and Cloud Vulnerabilities
Microsoft has officially reintroduced its industry-shaping Zero Day Quest, the largest public hacking event in cybersecurity history, now offering up to $5 million in bounties for impactful vulnerability discoveries across its critical platforms.
This year’s initiative builds upon last year’s successful $4 million program and reflects Microsoft’s continued investment in responsible vulnerability disclosure and community-driven security.
The Zero Day Quest is more than just a bug bounty—it represents a paradigm shift in how tech giants approach cybersecurity. By crowdsourcing its defense, Microsoft is enabling global security researchers to uncover critical vulnerabilities in platforms such as:
- Azure
- Copilot AI Systems
- Dynamics 365
- Power Platform
- Microsoft 365
- Identity Services
These platforms were selected due to their enterprise-level adoption and the potential business-wide impact of successful exploits.
Microsoft’s Security Response Center (MSRC) has tailored the competition to prioritize high-impact vulnerabilities that could result in real-world security threats if left unpatched. The strategy directly addresses the growing sophistication of modern attack vectors, where traditional defenses often fall short.
Event Timeline, Rewards, and Training Structure
- All Critical severity findings are eligible for a +50% bounty multiplier
- Submissions must follow Microsoft’s Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD) protocols
- Qualifying researchers will be invited to an exclusive Live Hacking Event at Microsoft’s Redmond campus in Spring 2026
Beyond cash rewards, the program offers participants access to technical training and research enablement. This includes:
- AI Red Team methodology workshops using PyRIT (Python Risk Identification Toolkit)
- Advanced bug bounty training
- Copilot Studio security deep-dives
These resources ensure that participants are not only rewarded but also ethically equipped to explore and test Microsoft’s complex cloud and AI infrastructure.
Microsoft’s Zero Day Quest reflects a growing industry trend where cybersecurity is treated not as an internal task but as a global collaborative effort. By investing heavily in its research community, Microsoft is setting a precedent for secure, transparent, and community-engaged technology development.
