Security Flaw Discovered in a16z Website Exposing Company Data

Imagine sipping on your morning coffee and discovering that a massive Silicon Valley venture capital firm has just had a major security scare. That’s exactly what happened when a security researcher, xyzeva, found a vulnerability in a16z’s web app. This glitch exposed sensitive data about the firm’s portfolio companies, and boy, it was a big deal!

So, What Happened?

It all started when xyzeva, a keen-eyed security researcher, stumbled upon a “really simple” bug in the a16z portfolio portal. This bug was a gateway to:

• Emails and passwords
• Company details
• Employee information

And here’s the kicker — it even allowed xyzeva to send emails as if they were from a16z itself and access previous communications via Mailgun. Quite a Pandora’s box, right?

The Immediate Fix

The good news is that a16z jumped on this issue and fixed it the same day xyzeva reported it. They were quick to confirm that no sensitive data was compromised, which is pretty reassuring.

The Bug Bounty Debate

But here’s where it gets interesting — a16z doesn’t have a formal bug bounty program. They expressed…