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Fri, Mar 20, 2009 10:33 EDT
Crack BlackBerry OS, Win $10,000: PNW2OWN at CanSecWest
Topic: MobileBlog: Mobile WorkHorse
Current Rating: |
CanSecWest, one of the world’s largest events focused on modern digital security and the folks who push the infosecurity envelope (read: hackers), is currently taking place in Vancouver, British Columbia, where conference attendees have been offered $10,000 for each and every successful attack they can execute on any of the five major smartphone operating systems: BlackBerry, Android, iPhone, Nokia/Symbian and Windows Mobile.
The companies behind those mobile platforms are apparently offering up the prize money in exchange for exploit code and/or details on any security flaws PNW2OWN contest participants may discover that enable them to take control of a smartphone.
Just yesterday, renowned security research Charlie Miller hacked a MacBook in less than 10 seconds, a new record. Miller, who’s credited with executing one of the very first successful attacks on the iPhone in 2007, had this to say about the smartphone OS hack contest:
"I can't break them…I don't have anything for the iPhone, and I don't know enough about Google."
So while Miller might not be the man with smartphone-hacking-plan, it seems likely that some crafty coder will come up with a way to infiltrate at least one of the five mobile targets. It sure would be interesting to hear about a BlackBerry-related exploit, since the platform is so often extolled for its impressive security features.
I’ll be sure to update this post with news on any such hacks as soon as it’s reported.
AS
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Comments
Mon, Mar 23, 2009 8:23 EDT
Well, it looks like the White Hat hackers at CanSecWest this year were no match for the smartphone platforms they were tasked with cracking. Not a single PWN2OWN participant was able to hack any of the five major smartphone OSs, according to network security firm TippingPoint.
Better luck next year?
AS
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About this Blog
Al Sacco writes about (and drools over) anything and everything mobile or wireless as it applies to the global workforce--with a focus on BlackBerry smartphones.
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