Kanpur teen discovers major NASA website flaw, earns spot in agency's Hall of Fame
Meet 16-year-old Yuvraj Gupta from Kanpur, a Class 11 student at Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College, Damodar Nagar, who has earned international acclaim after discovering a major security flaw on NASA's website. He has been honoured by NASA with a letter of appreciation and a place in its prestigious Hall of Fame.The flaw he uncovered could have allowed anyone to send fake emails from NASA's official domain—something even seasoned cybersecurity professionals had missed.advertisementYuvraj stumbled upon the vulnerability while participating in NASA's bug bounty programme, which invites cybersecurity enthusiasts to identify and report weaknesses in their systems.
'I was about to give up after two weeks of continuous effort,' Yuvraj shared. 'But one night, I found the flaw in a subdomain of NASA. I immediately documented everything and sent a detailed report with a video to the agency.' His journey in cybersecurity began in Class 6, when he first attempted to hack a Wi-Fi password out of curiosity. Since then, he has relied on YouTube tutorials, online courses, and books to teach himself ethical hacking. In 2024, his skills caught the attention of a cybersecurity firm founder on social media, leading to an opportunity to train police officers across India in cybercrime prevention.advertisementComing from a modest background, Yuvraj's achievements are all the more impressive. His family, which faced financial difficulties, supported him as best they could. With help from his father's savings and his sister's scholarship, Yuvraj was finally able to purchase a laptop to advance his skills.Despite his global recognition, Yuvraj has not received any support from the government. He expressed hope that the authorities would recognise and encourage young talent like him. He has also discovered bugs in the websites of the Odisha and Maharashtra governments, but has yet to receive a response.Yuvraj lives in Naubasta, Kanpur, with his parents and two sisters, and continues to contribute to the field of cybersecurity with determination and passion.Must Watch
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