Google Increases Cloud Bug Bounty to $250,000 for Bugs That Could Take Over Entire Projects

Google is putting serious money on the table for security researchers who can uncover its most dangerous cloud vulnerabilities. The company has introduced a $250,000 bug bounty for flaws that could grant attackers complete control over Google Cloud projects. Interestingly, the move comes as AI-generated security reports are putting increasing pressure on vulnerability teams.

Google’s new bug bounty targets cloud takeovers

In the official Google Cloud blog, the company announced the new Root-in-Cloud reward tier last week . The maximum payout targets critical architectural weaknesses, including tenant-isolation bypasses and complex flaws connecting multiple cloud services.

Researchers must demonstrate full administrative control over arbitrary Google Cloud organizations or projects. The exploit cannot rely on existing access, stolen credentials, social engineering, or victim interaction. Google also says qualifying reports involving remote code execution in its underlying production infrastructure will receive additional evaluation.

The company has introduced a dedicated verification mechanism to keep testing safe. Researchers can use a designated service account to cryptographically demonstrate unauthorized access without attacking real customer projects. Google has also updated its Cloud Vulnerability Reward Program rules.

AI is changing the security research landscape

Speaking of the timing, Google Cloud VRP lead Michael Cote says automation has dramatically increased submission volumes. However, the number of valid vulnerability reports has remained stable over the past 18 months, according to the company.

That creates a problem for security teams. AI tools can help researchers uncover vulnerabilities faster, but they can also produce convincing reports that describe nonexistent security flaws. Google wants to reward sophisticated discoveries that combine human judgment with AI-assisted research.

The announcement also follows Google’s suspension of submissions to its Open Source Software Vulnerability Reward Program in October, following a surge in AI-generated reports.

Google is also tightening expectations around responsible disclosure. Researchers who achieve code execution in production infrastructure must stop probing immediately. Attempts to escalate access, extract production credentials, or move across systems can result in disqualification.