During an event dedicated to computer security, a group of cybersecurity experts managed to find bugs in the iPhone X and Galaxy S9
It's true, in most cases hackers make a living with criminal actions that allow them, in one way or another, to make ends meet. There are those who mine cryptocurrencies exploiting the computing power of computers infected with cryptjackers; those who steal money from bank accounts or credit cards; those who block access to files on hard drives and ask for a ransom to get them back.
In contrast to this criminal activity, however, there are also hackers - called white hat hackers in jargon - who manage to earn an honest living. Such is the case with Marcus Hutchin, the computer security expert who stopped the spread of WannaCry in its tracks. Or like the experts who every year take part in conferences such as the Pwn2Own Trifecta, during which they can receive cash prizes if they discover bugs within particularly popular software or applications.
Bugs on iPhone X and Galaxy S9, 300 thousand euros for hackers
In this year's edition of the Pwn2Own Trifecta, a group of hackers composed of two computer security experts managed to find bugs in smartphones such as the iPhone X and the Samsung Galaxy S9. The vulnerabilities found are various, some of them highly dangerous if exploited by cybercriminals looking for easy money. This is precisely why the discoveries made during the Pwn2Own Trifecta are particularly important: they allow discovering the so-called 0-day vulnerabilities and finding a security patch before they can be exploited by black hat hackers. For this reason, the white hat hacker team has been rewarded with various cash prizes, totaling around 300 thousand euros.