A 16-year-old security researcher known as Faav uncovered a critical vulnerability in Microsoft's internal Titan platform that could have exposed a database containing 17.3 trillion records. The flaw stemmed from a failure to verify login token signatures, allowing attackers to access the platform's API without valid credentials and execute SQL queries with administrator privileges.
Faav identified the vulnerability with assistance from an AI-powered penetration testing bot he developed himself. The discovery demonstrates how modern tools can amplify the effectiveness of security research, even among young practitioners. Microsoft responded swiftly by patching the vulnerability and awarding Faav a $5,000 bug bounty, recognizing the significance of his finding and responsible disclosure.