Hackers rake in rewards in Day 2 of Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023, exploiting critical weaknesses for lucrative million-dollar payouts
Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023: Day Three Recap
The third day of the Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 competition continued with hackers testing the security of popular software and operating systems. The focus for the day was on Google Chrome and Microsoft Windows.
In a significant finding, Synacktiv, a hacker team, exploited a logical vulnerability in the driver, which is associated with Windows 10 systems. This exploit earned them a cash prize, although the exact amount has not been disclosed. Synacktiv had previously won $20,000 for using a similar vulnerability in the macOS kernel.
On the other hand, no successful exploits have been reported so far in Google Chrome during the third day of the competition. Similarly, no successful exploits have been found in the Ubuntu operating system as of the end of the third day.
The competition aims to identify and reward researchers who can find and exploit security vulnerabilities in popular software and operating systems. In the second day of the competition, a team of researchers from the Georgia Tech Systems Software and Security Lab successfully exploited a Safari browser vulnerality and earned $40,000. Team Fluoroacetate, composed of hackers Amat Cama and Richard Zhu, also made headlines by successfully exploiting a Windows 10 virtual machine and earning $80,000.
The Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 competition, organized by Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), is scheduled to continue until March 24, with further attempts to exploit various software and operating systems. The total prize money awarded so far in the competition is $400,000.
It is important to note that while Firefox vulnerabilities and sandbox escapes were highlighted in recent Pwn2Own events, particularly 2024 and 2025 ones, there is no direct evidence from the search results that these directly correspond to the 2023 Vancouver Pwn2Own exploits for Safari or Windows 10 specifically. The exact CVE numbers and detailed exploit mechanisms for Safari at Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 and for Windows 10 remain unspecified in the provided documents.
The competition continues tomorrow, with more challenges and opportunities for hackers to showcase their skills and earn rewards for their discoveries. Stay tuned for more updates from Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023.
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In light of the ongoing Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 competition, an encyclopedia entry about cybersecurity might include a description of Synacktiv's triumph, where they exploited a logical vulnerability in a Windows 10 driver and earned an undisclosed cash prize. Meanwhile, an article about sports could feature the competition's future events, with hackers striving to outperform each other in finding and exploiting security vulnerabilities in various software and operating systems, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Windows, and Ubuntu, much like athletes in sports games.
