Pwn2Own is a hacking competition where researchers demonstrate software and device vulnerabilities, helping vendors identify flaws and improve security.
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Background for this topic.
Pwn2Own is a sanctioned hacking competition in which security researchers exploit specified software, devices, or other technology under controlled rules for cash prizes. Targets vary by edition and may include browsers, operating systems, virtualization, mobile devices, enterprise applications, vehicles, or industrial systems. Winning attempts commonly use previously undisclosed vulnerabilities, sometimes chaining several flaws to achieve code execution, sandbox escape, or privilege escalation.
Its security value is that it produces evidence that a vulnerability can be exploited against a real target, rather than merely theoretical findings. Organizers coordinate disclosure with affected developers, who can investigate and issue fixes or mitigations. Security teams should monitor related advisories, identify whether their deployed versions are affected, and prioritize patching when a demonstrated exploit involves an exposed attack surface or requires limited user interaction. Competition results do not mean every instance is exploitable in every environment, and technical exploit details may remain restricted until remediation is available.
Weekly headline count for the current query.
The Pwn2Own Berlin 2026 hacking contest has concluded, with security researchers collecting $1,298,250 in rewards after exploiting 47 zero-day flaws. [...]
During the second day of Pwn2Own Berlin 2026, competitors collected $385,750 in cash awards after exploiting 15 unique zero-day vulnerabilities in multiple products, including Windows 11, Microsoft Exchange, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Workstations. [...]
On the first day of Pwn2Own Berlin 2026, security researchers collected $523,000 in cash awards after exploiting 24 unique zero-days. [...]
Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 has ended with security researchers earning $1,047,000 after exploiting 76 zero-day vulnerabilities between January 21 and January 23. [...]
Hackers collect $439,250 after exploiting 29 zero-day vulnerabilities on the second day of Pwn2Own Automotive 2026. [...]
Security researchers have hacked the Tesla Infotainment System and earned $516,500 after exploiting 37 zero-days on the first day of the Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 competition. [...]
Synology has addressed a critical-severity remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in BeeStation products that was demonstrated at the recent Pwn2Own hacking competition. [...]
QNAP has fixed seven zero-day vulnerabilities that security researchers exploited to hack QNAP network-attached storage (NAS) devices during the Pwn2Own Ireland 2025 competition. [...]
The Pwn2Own Ireland 2025 hacking competition has ended with security researchers collecting $1,024,750 in cash awards after exploiting 73 zero-day vulnerabilities. [...]
Security researchers collected $792,750 in cash after exploiting 56 unique zero-day vulnerabilities during the second day of the Pwn2Own Ireland 2025 hacking competition. [...]
On the first day of Pwn2Own Ireland 2025, security researchers exploited 34 unique zero-days and collected $522,500 in cash awards. [...]
A new large-scale botnet called RondoDox is targeting 56 vulnerabilities in more than 30 distinct devices, including flaws first disclosed during Pwn2Own hacking competitions. [...]
The Zero Day Initiative is offering a $1 million reward to security researchers who will demonstrate a zero-click WhatsApp exploit at its upcoming Pwn2Own Ireland 2025 hacking contest. [...]
VMware fixed four vulnerabilities in VMware ESXi, Workstation, Fusion, and Tools that were exploited as zero-days during the Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 hacking contest in May 2025. [...]
Mozilla released emergency security updates to address two Firefox zero-day vulnerabilities demonstrated in the recent Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 hacking competition. [...]
The Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 hacking competition has concluded, with security researchers earning $1,078,750 after exploiting 29 zero-day vulnerabilities and encountering some bug collisions. [...]
During the second day of Pwn2Own Berlin 2025, competitors earned $435,000 after exploiting zero-day bugs in multiple products, including Microsoft SharePoint, VMware ESXi, Oracle VirtualBox, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and Mozilla Firefox. [...]
On the first day of Pwn2Own Berlin 2025, security researchers were awarded $260,000 after successfully demonstrating zero-day exploits for Windows 11, Red Hat Linux, Docker Desktop, and Oracle VirtualBox. [...]
The Pwn2Own Automotive 2025 hacking contest has ended with security researchers collecting $886,250 after exploiting 49 zero-days. [...]
Security researchers hacked Tesla's Wall Connector electric vehicle charger twice on the second day of the Pwn2Own Automotive 2025 hacking contest. [...]