SpaceX is putting serious money on the table to strengthen the cybersecurity of its Starlink satellite internet service. Through its bug bounty program, the company is offering security researchers and ethical, or white hat hackers, up to $100,000 for identifying and reporting critical vulnerabilities in the Starlink network and hardware.
When SpaceX launched its bug bounty program in 2022, the company was offering rewards up to $25,000 to hack Starlink.
A Two-Tiered Target System
The bug bounty program splits its rewards into two main categories: software vulnerabilities and hardware systems. Researchers can earn between US$100 and US$50,000 for uncovering issues like SQL injections, remote code execution, and privilege escalation within Starlink’s online platforms.
On the hardware side, vulnerabilities in Starlink antenna, routers, or backend infrastructure are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If a bug has the potential to compromise critical systems or enable persistent access, researchers could receive up to US$100,000.
Each submission is assessed based on several criteria: the level of access required, the scope of the compromise, whether the issue can be scaled across devices, and how persistent the flaw is post-exploitation. These metrics help prioritize fixes and ensure meaningful improvements to Starlink’s resilience.
Fast Turnaround and Boundaries
According to Bugcrowd, 75% of reported vulnerabilities are reviewed within two days. The Starlink program has already paid out for more than 100 vulnerabilities, with recent average payouts around US$1,000 per discovery.
However, there are strict guidelines in place to prevent abuse. Hackers must test only on hardware they personally own and avoid disrupting service for other users. Any discovery of a potential satellite-level vulnerability must be immediately reported, with no further testing allowed.
