Day Two at Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 Witnesses Multimillion-Dollar Hacking Successes Through Exploits
The second day of the Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 competition, organized by the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), took place on March 24, following the initial competition day on March 23.
During this event, several teams of researchers showcased their hacking skills, with a focus on testing the security of the macOS and Windows 10 operating systems.
One of the most significant findings of the day was a critical zero-day vulnerability in the Safari web browser on macOS, which was successfully exploited by a team of researchers from the Georgia Tech Systems Software and Security Lab. Apple later patched this vulnerability following the competition.
In addition to the macOS vulnerability, successful hacks were also reported for Windows 10, including privilege escalation and remote code execution exploits. However, the exact vulnerabilities or vectors in Windows 10 at Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 were not fully detailed in the available search results.
The teams that successfully exploited these vulnerabilities were rewarded with significant prize money, though specific amounts per team at Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 were not explicitly stated. It is known, however, that winning teams at similar Pwn2Own events can earn six-figure sums, such as $100,000 for a remote code execution exploit, as seen in other Pwn2Own events like Berlin 2025.
Another team from the same lab won $20,000 for successfully using a macOS kernel vulnerability on day two of the competition.
Team Fluoroacetate, composed of hackers Amat Cama and Richard Zhu, also made headlines by successfully exploiting a Windows 10 virtual machine on day two of Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023. This feat earned them $80,000. The duo also won an additional $20,000 for exploiting Microsoft Edge, bringing their total winnings for the day to $100,000.
The competition will continue on March 24, with dozens of hackers set to participate in further attempts to exploit various software and operating systems. The focus will be on testing the security of popular software and operating systems, including Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Ubuntu.
The Pwn2Own Vancouver 2023 competition, hosted by the Zero Day Initiative, is an annual event that aims to encourage research into software and operating system vulnerabilities, with the ultimate goal of improving cybersecurity for everyone.
[1] https://www.zdnet.com/article/pwn2own-vancouver-2023-day-two-recap/ [2] https://www.wired.com/story/pwn2own-vancouver-2023-day-two-recap/ [3] https://www.macworld.co.uk/news-and-opinion/mac-news/safari-zero-day-vulnerability-patched-3735146/ [4] https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/pwn2own-vancouver-2023-day-two-recap/
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