Amazon launches huge global bug bounty program

developers
(Image credit: Huawei)

Amazon has announced a new global bug bounty competition for developers, setting a lofty target of collectively eliminating one million software bugs with the help of tools from its cloud computing Amazon Web Services (AWS) subsidiary.

The AWS BugBust program allows developers to create and manage private events that help turn the process of fixing bugs in your software into a healthy competition.

Dubbing it the “world’s largest code challenge” Amazon hopes to use AWS BugBust to reduce technical debt by over $100 million.

“Today, we are excited to announce an entirely new approach to help developers improve code quality, eliminate bugs, and boost application performance, while saving millions of dollars in application resource costs,” noted Swami Sivasubramanian, VP, Amazon Machine Learning, AWS.

Here’s how it works

In a blog post, AWS principal advocate Martin Beeby explains that every time a developer fixes a bug at any of the private events around the world, they are allotted points on the global leaderboard. 

As they reach significant individual milestones, the developers are rewarded with badges and prizes from AWS. On September 30 2021, the top 10 developers on the global leaderboard will be invited to the company annual AWS re:Invent conference.

Behind the scenes, AWS BugBust is powered by AWS BugBust uses Amazon CodeGuru Reviewer and Amazon CodeGuru Profiler. The latter uses machine learning and automated reasoning to find bugs in your applications. 

Amazon explains that while a traditional bug bash requires developers to find and fix bugs manually, with AWS BugBust, they get a list of bugs before the event begins, and can then spend their time and effort in fixing them.

However Beeby notes that every AWS account can use the CodeGuru tools for no charge for up to 30 days. While developers can create multiple AWS BugBust events during the trial period, all further usage beyond the trial period will be charged.  

The AWS BugBust capability is available today in US East (N. Virginia) with availability in additional regions where Amazon CodeGuru is offered coming soon.

Mayank Sharma

With almost two decades of writing and reporting on Linux, Mayank Sharma would like everyone to think he’s TechRadar Pro’s expert on the topic. Of course, he’s just as interested in other computing topics, particularly cybersecurity, cloud, containers, and coding.

Read more
A woman at a table using a Windows laptop, opposite sits a man, neither show their face
Microsoft will now pay you even more to find security bugs in Copilot
Application Security Testing Concept with Digital Magnifying Glass Scanning Applications to Detect Vulnerabilities - AST - Process of Making Apps Resistant to Security Threats - 3D Illustration
Google bug bounty payments hit nearly $12 million in 2024
A person holding a virtual cloud in the palm of their hand.
Amazon EC2 instances could be under fire from whoAMI technique giving hackers code execution access
Facebook on laptop
Researcher nets major reward for finding Facebook bug able to unlock the gates to its internal systems
Artificial Intelligence
Amazon is apparently going all-in on agentic AI
Netflix
Netflix? More like Netfix - world's most popular streaming service is tied at the neck with its biggest rival, and doesn't even know how much it spends on cloud computing
Latest in Pro
person at a computer
Many workers are overconfident at spotting phishing attacks
AI tools.
Laying the foundations for successful GenAI adoption
A person in a wheelchair working at a computer.
Why betting on Mac security could put your organization at risk
Zorin OS 17 main image
I tried the latest version of Zorin OS - here's what I thought of this Linux distro
WatchGuard Firebox T45-CW main image
I tried the WatchGuard Firebox - here's what I thought of this 5G appliance
Finger Presses Orange Button Domain Name Registration on Black Keyboard Background. Closeup View
I visited the world’s first registered .com domain – and you won’t believe what it’s offering today
Latest in News
A man getting angry with his laptop.
Windows 11 bug deletes Copilot from the OS – is this the first glitch ever some users will be happy to encounter?
Huawei Watch Fit 3
The Huawei Watch 3 is a decent Apple Watch alternative, and its successor could be close at hand
An image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra from a hands-on event
Samsung's latest software upgrade could mean Galaxy phones beat iPhones for gaming – but you can't get it yet
God of War 20th Anniversary Graphic.
Sony has unveiled some goodies to celebrate God of War’s 20th anniversary, but it's not the remaster I was hoping for
person at a computer
Many workers are overconfident at spotting phishing attacks
Apple iPhone 16 Plus Review
The iPhone 17 Air could have an affordable price, and better battery life than you might have expected