IP Library Granted Patent US 12682079
Granted Patent B2
US 12682079 · App. 18/900,583 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Portal for submitting security vulnerabilities via third-party websites

Inventors: Damien Michael Radford (San Francisco, CA); Casey John Ellis (Lafayette, CA)
Assignee: Bugcrowd Inc.
G06F21/577G06F40/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12682079
App. No.
18/900,583
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system allows users to submit security vulnerabilities for systems associated with websites. The system receives, a request for submission of a security vulnerability associated with a website. The request is received via a widget displayed on a webpage of a website. A user interface is configured for receiving details of the security vulnerability. The user interface is sent for display in association with the website. Information describing the security vulnerability is received via the user interface. The information comprises a natural language description of the security vulnerability. A vulnerability tracking system is selected from a plurality of vulnerability tracking systems based on the details of the security vulnerability. The information describing the security vulnerability is routed via a secure channel to the vulnerability tracking system selected.

Claims (58)

1 . A computer-implemented method for processing security vulnerability submissions, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, via a vulnerability disclosure portal widget displayed on a webpage of a website, a request for submission of a security vulnerability associated with the website, wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is displayed on a plurality of webpages of the website and the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is further displayed on a plurality of websites, wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is configured to provide a user interface for submitting disclosures of security vulnerabilities to a vulnerability tracking system;

configuring a user interface for receiving details of the security vulnerability;

sending for display, the user interface in association with the website;

receiving, via the user interface, information describing the security vulnerability;

selecting a vulnerability tracking system from a plurality of vulnerability tracking systems based on the details of the security vulnerability; and

routing, via a secure channel, the security vulnerability to the vulnerability tracking system selected.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the information describing the security vulnerability comprises a natural language description of the security vulnerability.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is displayed on a particular webpage of the website, wherein the information describing the security vulnerability identifies the particular webpage.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is displayed on a footer of each of one or more webpages of the website.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

identifying one or more engagement criteria associated with a security vulnerability submission; and

configuring the user interface to display the one or more engagement criteria.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a downstream processing by using a machine learning based language model to process a natural language description of the security vulnerability received.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein processing the natural language description of the security vulnerability using the machine learning based language model comprises:

generating a prompt comprising the natural language description of the security vulnerability and a description of one or more downstream processing alternatives, the prompt requesting a machine learning based language model to select a downstream processing based on the natural language description of the security vulnerability;

providing the prompt to the machine learning based language model; and

determining the downstream processing for the security vulnerability based on a response obtained by executing the machine learning based language model.

8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving, via a vulnerability disclosure portal widget displayed on a webpage of a website, a request for submission of a security vulnerability associated with the website, wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is displayed on a plurality of webpages of the website and the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is further displayed on a plurality of websites, wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is configured to provide a user interface for submitting disclosures of security vulnerabilities to a vulnerability tracking system;

configuring a user interface for receiving details of the security vulnerability;

sending for display, the user interface in association with the website;

receiving, via the user interface, information describing the security vulnerability;

selecting a vulnerability tracking system from a plurality of vulnerability tracking systems based on the details of the security vulnerability; and

routing, via a secure channel, the security vulnerability to the vulnerability tracking system selected.

9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the information describing the security vulnerability comprises a natural language description of the security vulnerability.

10 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is displayed on a particular webpage of the website, wherein the information describing the security vulnerability identifies the particular webpage.

11 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is displayed on a footer of each of one or more webpages of the website.

12 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to perform steps comprising:

identifying one or more engagement criteria associated with a security vulnerability submission; and

configuring the user interface to display the one or more engagement criteria.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to perform steps comprising:

determining a downstream processing by using a machine learning based language model to process a natural language description of the security vulnerability received.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for processing the natural language description of the security vulnerability using the machine learning based language model cause the one or more computer processors to further perform steps comprising:

generating a prompt comprising the natural language description of the security vulnerability and a description of one or more downstream processing alternatives, the prompt requesting a machine learning based language model to select a downstream processing based on the natural language description of the security vulnerability;

providing the prompt to the machine learning based language model; and

determining the downstream processing for the security vulnerability based on a response obtained by executing the machine learning based language model.

15 . A computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving, via a vulnerability disclosure portal widget displayed on a webpage of a website, a request for submission of a security vulnerability associated with the website, wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is displayed on a plurality of webpages of the website and the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is further displayed on a plurality of websites, wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is configured to provide a user interface for submitting disclosures of security vulnerabilities to a vulnerability tracking system;

configuring a user interface for receiving details of the security vulnerability;

sending for display, the user interface in association with the website;

receiving, via the user interface, information describing the security vulnerability;

selecting a vulnerability tracking system from a plurality of vulnerability tracking systems based on the details of the security vulnerability; and

routing, via a secure channel, the security vulnerability to the vulnerability tracking system selected.

16 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the information describing the security vulnerability comprises a natural language description of the security vulnerability.

17 . The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the vulnerability disclosure portal widget is displayed on a particular webpage of the website, wherein the information describing the security vulnerability identifies the particular webpage.

18 . The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to perform steps comprising:

identifying one or more engagement criteria associated with a security vulnerability submission; and

configuring the user interface to display the one or more engagement criteria.

19 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to perform steps comprising:

determining a downstream processing by using a machine learning based language model to process a natural language description of the security vulnerability received.

20 . The computer system of claim 19 , wherein the instructions for processing the natural language description of the security vulnerability using the machine learning based language model cause the one or more computer processors to further perform steps comprising:

generating a prompt comprising the natural language description of the security vulnerability and a description of one or more downstream processing alternatives, the prompt requesting a machine learning based language model to select a downstream processing based on the natural language description of the security vulnerability;

providing the prompt to the machine learning based language model; and

determining the downstream processing for the security vulnerability based on a response obtained by executing the machine learning based language model.