VDP vs CVD vs Bug Bounty

It has always been a big question and point of confusion: what are the differences between VDP, CVD, and Bug Bounty programs?

In cybersecurity, businesses and organizations use different frameworks to work with security researchers and fix weaknesses in their systems. The three main approaches are:

Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP): A regularized channel allowing researchers to report vulnerabilities without offering monetary rewards.

Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD): A collaborative process where researchers and organizations work together to identify and remediate vulnerabilities before public disclosure.

Bug Bounty Program (BBP): Researchers are encouraged to discover and report vulnerabilities through a program that offers financial rewards as a motivation.

This blog post compares VDPs, CVD, and BBPs across several dimensions, including introductions, pros and cons, areas of focus, researcher interactions, organizational implementations, and outcomes for researchers.

A VDP is a continuous program that offers a structured method for external security researchers to report vulnerabilities in an organization’s assets. It establishes clear guidelines, scopes, and procedures but usually does not include monetary rewards. VDPs are designed to enhance security by utilizing external expertise while ensuring researchers’ legal protection.

CVD is a process that focuses on collaboratively managing specific vulnerabilities. Researchers and organizations work together to ensure that vulnerabilities are reported, addressed responsibly, and disclosed appropriately. The emphasis is on reaching mutual agreement on timelines and maintaining confidentiality until fixes are implemented.

A BBP is an initiative in which organizations provide financial rewards to external researchers who find and report valid vulnerabilities. BBPs are designed to attract a diverse pool of bug hunters by offering monetary incentives based on the severity and impact of the discovered vulnerabilities.

The Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP) focuses on clear guidelines and scope definitions without offering monetary incentives. The primary goal is to receive vulnerability reports passively and enable safe disclosure for researchers, helping the organization address undetected issues.

Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD) involves researchers and organizations collaborating to address vulnerabilities, ensuring they are responsibly fixed before public disclosure. It highlights working together from discovery to resolution with agreed-upon timelines to minimize risk.

The Bug Bounty Program (BBP) encourages continuous testing of the organization’s assets and aims to uncover vulnerabilities by motivating (money-wise) researchers to search for and report security flaws.

In VDP, researchers interact with the organization primarily by submitting vulnerability reports via secure channels such as encrypted emails or web forms. Interaction is generally limited to acknowledgment and clarification of the report. There is no financial incentive, and recognition may be limited to a thank-you note or inclusion in a “Hall of Fame.”

In CVD, researchers collaborate closely with the organization throughout the vulnerability remediation process. There is an emphasis on open communication, regular updates, and mutual agreement on disclosure timelines. While there is no financial reward, the professional relationship and contribution to security improvements can be significant.

In BBP, researchers interact extensively with the organization, often through a dedicated platform. The communication involves submitting reports, receiving feedback, negotiating rewards, and discussing remediation strategies. The prospect of financial compensation enhances engagement levels, and researchers may also receive public recognition and opportunities for further collaboration.

BBPs offer the highest level of interaction due to financial incentives and structured communication channels, attracting more researchers. CVDs involve significant interaction focused on collaboration for specific vulnerabilities. VDPs have limited interaction, mainly centered around the initial reporting of vulnerabilities.

VDP: Implementation involves developing a clear policy that defines the scope and guidelines, setting up secure reporting channels, assigning a team for triage and response, and publicizing the program. Compared to BBPs, it is simpler to implement and requires fewer resources.

CVD: Organizations need to establish policies for vulnerability handling, set up secure communication channels, train staff on collaboration protocols, and integrate CVD practices into incident response plans. Implementation is resource-intensive due to the need for ongoing coordination but does not require budget allocation for rewards.

Bug Bounty Program: Implementing a BBP involves defining the scope, rules, and reward structures, selecting or developing a platform, allocating a budget for rewards and administration, forming a dedicated team, ensuring legal and financial compliance, launching and promoting the program, and managing it continuously. It requires significant resources and is the most complex to implement.

BBPs demand the most resources and administrative effort due to financial rewards and complex management. CVDs require substantial coordination but not financial incentives. VDPs are the simplest and most cost-effective to implement, with minimal administrative overhead.

Businesses should choose a framework that aligns with their goals and resources. VDPs are cost-effective for receiving reports without financial rewards, CVDs enable collaboration on specific vulnerabilities, and BBPs attract researchers with financial incentives and broader coverage. Researchers should consider their goals, with VDPs offering recognition, CVDs providing collaboration, and BBPs offering monetary rewards and career growth. Both parties must understand their needs to facilitate better cooperation and enhance cybersecurity efforts.