In a surprising turn of events, an independent hacker has earned recognition from NASA for helping protect the space agency’s systems. The hacker, who publicly disclosed the second breach of NASA’s systems on social media, revealed that they had identified and reported critical security vulnerabilities, which NASA has since addressed.
Public Disclosure on X
The hacker, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news, wrote, “I hacked @NASA (again) and reported some vulnerabilities to them. Just today, I received this appreciation letter from them after they patched the loopholes!” The public disclosure was met with both awe and praise from social media users, with many highlighting the magnitude of such an achievement.
NASA’s Official Recognition
NASA, in response to the breach and subsequent responsible reporting, sent an official letter of appreciation to the hacker. The letter was signed by Mark Witt from NASA’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and acknowledged the hacker’s valuable contribution in identifying critical vulnerabilities and helping to safeguard the space agency’s systems.
The letter stated, “On behalf of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and NASA’s Vulnerability Disclosure Policy (VDP), we would like to recognize your efforts as an independent security researcher, both in identifying the vulnerability you submitted and for following NASA’s VDP policy and guidelines in responsibly reporting this to us.”
Social Media Reactions
The hacker’s post garnered a wave of responses on X. Many users expressed their admiration for both the hacker and NASA for handling the situation professionally. One user wrote, “That’s worth at least as much as a degree LOL,” while another added, “Good work, mate.”
Several users praised NASA for its positive response, with one commenting, “Good on NASA for rewarding security researchers rather than punishing them with legal action—it’s really in their best interest.” Another jokingly asked, “They didn’t even give you a ‘I hacked NASA and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt’ Shirt?”
A Step Toward Better Cybersecurity
NASA’s response to the breach underscores the importance of vulnerability disclosure programs and highlights the agency’s commitment to cybersecurity. By rewarding ethical hacking efforts, NASA demonstrates its dedication to protecting the integrity and availability of its information infrastructure.
