NASA Honors Indian Student for Reporting Security Bug, Includes Him in Hall of Fame

A 16-year-old student from Kanpur, Yuvraj Gupta, has gained international fame after discovering a serious security flaw on NASA’s official website. This young ethical hacker has been honored by NASA with a letter of appreciation and a place in its prestigious Hall of Fame.

Yuvraj is a Class 11 student at Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College in Damodar Nagar, Kanpur. Despite limited resources, he taught himself ethical hacking through YouTube videos, online courses, and books. His interest in cybersecurity started when he was in Class 6, and after years of practice, he impressed NASA with his skills.

The security flaw Yuvraj found was significant. It allowed anyone to send fake emails from NASA’s official email address, which was a major risk that many expert cyber security professionals had not detected. After trying for almost two weeks on NASA’s bug bounty program and almost giving up, Yuvraj finally discovered a flaw in a NASA subdomain. He then prepared a detailed report along with a video explaining the bug and submitted it to NASA. He also reported other bugs that could send fake emails and leak confidential information.

In recognition of his outstanding work, NASA honored Yuvraj Gupta with a certificate of appreciation and included his name in the Hall of Fame for bug hunters.

Yuvraj’s family supports his passion for digital security. His father, Jai Narayan Gupta, works in a private company, and his mother, Kalpana Gupta, is a housewife. To help Yuvraj pursue his interest, his sister’s scholarship and his father’s savings were combined to buy him a laptop, which he uses for learning and ethical hacking.

Yuvraj scored 79.4 percent marks in Class 10 and continues to study with dedication. His family says they are proud and committed to supporting Yuvraj’s dream of contributing to the country’s digital security.

From hacking his neighbor’s Wi-Fi for fun to protecting the world’s largest space agency, Yuvraj Gupta’s journey is an inspiring story of talent, hard work, and determination.