Public research rules

Correction, bypass, and replication programs

HOL Guard accepts evidence that makes the product look better, worse, or unchanged. Program eligibility is based on validity, reproducibility, scope, and safety, never on a favorable conclusion.

Important: public program status does not promise a specific payment amount. Any cash or non-cash award requires validation and written terms. Testing authorization is limited to the published scope and never extends to third-party systems, data, or credentials.

To submit a correction, safe bypass report, or replication proposal, email [email protected]. Security findings should follow the HOL Guard security policy and remain private until coordinated disclosure permits publication.

correction_bounty

HOL Guard Correction Bounty

intake open

Reward reproducible corrections to public HOL Guard security, product, benchmark, or methodology claims.

Eligible work

  • Specific factual error with public contradictory evidence
  • Reproducible metric/methodology error
  • Material omitted limitation that changes interpretation

Out of scope

  • Style-only edits
  • Duplicate already-known correction
  • Threats, harassment, spam, or fabricated evidence
Reward terms
Any cash or non-cash award must be confirmed in writing after validation and before acceptance of payment terms. No amount is promised by this public rule page.
Result neutrality
Corrections are rewarded for validity and materiality, not for making HOL look better or worse.
Conflict disclosure
HOL operates and commercializes HOL Guard. Reviewers must disclose any material relationship that could affect the correction review.

Open the applicable scope or methodology path

safe_bypass_bounty

HOL Guard Safe Bypass Bounty

intake open

Invite safe, reproducible reports of Guard control bypasses under explicit authorization and non-destructive testing rules.

Eligible work

  • Bypass demonstrated on researcher-owned systems or published test fixtures
  • Policy or enforcement gap with minimal reproducible proof
  • Safe prompt/tool/package/MCP control bypass that does not expose third-party data

Out of scope

  • Testing against systems or data without authorization
  • Credential theft or secret exfiltration
  • Persistence, destructive payloads, denial of service, social engineering, or public zero-day disclosure before coordination
Reward terms
Eligibility and any award are determined after validation under the published scope. Researchers must not assume a payment amount or authorization outside this scope.
Result neutrality
A valid bypass remains valid even if it is unfavorable to HOL Guard; payout decisions cannot depend on suppressing publication after coordinated remediation.
Conflict disclosure
HOL is the product operator and potential payer. Any award, employment, sponsorship, or commercial relationship must be disclosed with a public research result.

Open the applicable scope or methodology path

replication_microgrant

HOL Guard Replication Microgrant

intake open

Support independent replication of a frozen HOL Guard benchmark, recommendation-observatory, or threat-research method.

Eligible work

  • Independent reproduction using frozen methods
  • Negative, null, contradictory, or favorable replication
  • Method critique accompanied by reproducible evidence

Out of scope

  • HOL-authored self-replication presented as independent
  • Result-contingent compensation
  • Cherry-picked or undisclosed exclusion of valid unfavorable runs
Reward terms
Each grant requires a separate written award defining scope, amount, deliverables, disclosure, and publication rights before funded work begins.
Result neutrality
Funding amount and eligibility cannot depend on a favorable HOL result; valid unfavorable and null results remain publishable.
Conflict disclosure
Any grant or support from HOL must be disclosed prominently in the replication artifact and public report.

Open the applicable scope or methodology path

Rules that apply to every program

  • No automated posting, fake reviews, hidden sponsorship, or favorable-result payments.
  • No public zero-day disclosure before reasonable coordinated remediation when a real vulnerability affects third parties.
  • No customer data, private prompts, secrets, or private telemetry may be collected to prove a finding.
  • Valid unfavorable, null, contradictory, and correction results remain eligible for publication.
  • Any HOL funding, sponsorship, employment, or other material relationship must be disclosed with public results.

Corrections and retractions · Independent validation policy