What does Hacktron do?

It builds AI agents that review code and run penetration tests, finding vulnerabilities, proving them with proofs of concept and proposing patches.

What is Hacktron's relationship with OpenAI?

Hacktron reported a vulnerability chain through OpenAI's bug bounty in 2026 and on 6 November 2026 became a partner testing how OpenAI's systems connect to third-party services.

Hacktron AI news

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Hacktron AI is an early-stage security startup that builds AI agents for code review, penetration testing and red teaming.

Abstract illustration of a shield over a network — OpenAI partners with Hacktron, the startup that breached it via its forum, on third-party tests

Cybersecurity8 Nov 2026, 16:10 UTC

OpenAI said on 6 November 2026 that Hacktron will test how its systems connect to outside services, with wider access to frontier models through Daybreak Red.

Summary

OpenAI announced on 6 November 2026 a partnership with Hacktron, a small AI security startup, to find vulnerabilities in its systems, with a focus on how they interact with third-party services. Engineers from both companies will pick the areas to test, and Hacktron gets wider access to OpenAI's frontier models through Daybreak Red. OpenAI met Hacktron through its bug bounty, which paid the firm $6,500 in September for an SSO flaw. No financial terms were disclosed.

About Hacktron AI

Hacktron AI is an early-stage security startup that builds AI agents for code review, penetration testing and red teaming. Founded by competitive hackers Zayne Zhang, Mohan Pedhapati and Harsh Jaiswal, it raised a pre-seed round in May 2026 and became an OpenAI security testing partner in November 2026.

Reviewed 8 Nov 2026

Facts at a glance

Type: AI penetration testing and code security
Founders: Zayne Zhang, Mohan Pedhapati, Harsh Jaiswal
Funding: $2.9 million pre-seed led by Crane Venture Partners (May 2026) source
OpenAI partnership: Announced 6 November 2026, with access to frontier models through Daybreak Red source
OpenAI bug bounty award: $6,500 for an SSO finding, paid 1 September 2026 source

Questions people ask

What does Hacktron do?: It builds AI agents that review code and run penetration tests, finding vulnerabilities, proving them with proofs of concept and proposing patches.
What is Hacktron's relationship with OpenAI?: Hacktron reported a vulnerability chain through OpenAI's bug bounty in 2026 and on 6 November 2026 became a partner testing how OpenAI's systems connect to third-party services.

Hacktron AI news

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OpenAI partners with Hacktron, the startup that breached it via its forum, on third-party tests