The Journey That Changed Everything — My NASA LOR Story

I still remember the exact moment my dream was born. October 23, 2024, at 7:14 PM. I was scrolling through posts when I saw something that hit me hard — a NASA Letter of Recognition (LOR), framed like a trophy. It wasn’t mine, but that moment, I decided it would be.

I told my girlfriend, and she simply said, “Go for it. You can do this.” That was all I needed to hear. From that day, my journey started.

But let’s be real — this was far from easy. I wasn’t some elite hacker. I was just a security enthusiast trying to prove myself. I didn’t have connections, I didn’t have secret tricks — just determination. I started searching everywhere — YouTube, Telegram, forums — anything that could help me figure out how to earn that LOR.

I asked bug hunters for guidance. Most ignored me. But one person replied, and that tiny bit of advice was enough to give me a direction. I started hunting.

At first? Failure after failure.

46 reports submitted.32 rejected outright.10 accepted but low priority.6 marked as P5 (informational).Only 4 reports had real impact.

My first accepted report? A simple Anonymous FTP Access to Sensitive Files P5. Informational. It didn’t mean much, but when I saw my name in NASA’s Hall of Fame, it felt like everything.

That small win gave me hope. But I wanted more. I wanted that LOR.

I changed my approach. Instead of doing what everyone else was doing, I started thinking differently. I focused on Google Dorking, Wayback Machine, and deep recon. I searched for things people overlooked.

Then, it happened.

I found something big. A NASA staff directory that no longer existed on their site. But archived snapshots still had the data.

Names.Emails.Phone numbers.

All exposed. No authentication, no protection. I knew I had to report it.

On January 22, 2025, I submitted the report. Then came the waiting.

Feb 7, 2025: No response. I followed up.Feb 11, 2025: NASA reviewed and confirmed the issue.Feb 12, 2025: Validated.Feb 19, 2025: NASA fixed the issue.Feb 20, 2025: I requested an LOR.Feb 21, 2025: The email arrived: “Please accept this letter as a token of our appreciation…”

I had done it.

I can’t even describe the feeling. Four months. Sleepless nights. Frustration. Rejection after rejection. But I never gave up.

Lessons Learned on the Path to Success

Failures Are Part of the Process — I failed over 30 times before I succeeded. Every failure taught me something newEffective reconnaissance is more valuable than luck. Advanced OSINT techniques and unconventional approaches played a critical role in this discovery.Persistence Pays Off — If I had given up after my first rejections, I would have never achieved this.Surround Yourself with Support — My girlfriend’s motivation kept me going when I wanted to quit.

This achievement is only the beginning. My focus remains on tackling complex security challenges, contributing to responsible disclosure programs, and earning further recognition in the field.

For those who are facing setbacks in their journey, remember that every expert was once a beginner. Rejections, failures, and self-doubt are part of the process. The key is to keep learning, adapting, and improving.

Stay motivated, think beyond conventional techniques, and approach challenges with persistence. Success is often one report away.

For collaboration, insights, or discussions, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.

#BugBounty #NASA #SecurityResearch #EthicalHacking #Cybersecurity