Hacker team scores over $100K for hacking a fully-patched Nexus 6P at Mobile Pwn2Own

Nowadays, every organization wants to make its applications and websites more secure. Therefore, from the past few weeks, hacking competitions have been reported. Where white hackers have been invited to break the hardware and software in a closed environment in order to win the competition and prizes.

Software Security Company Trend Micro has sponsored the mobile only competition of the Pwn2own. The competition has offered prizes to the one who is able to retrieve the user information, install rogue apps or just unlock the biggest mainstream phones such as the Nexus 6P, Galaxy S6, and iPhone 6S.

Tecent Keen Security Lab Team has also participated in the competition. There were few Android bugs in the latest Nexus 6P, that was highly protected with the latest monthly security patches, the team has been able to install the rogue app on the phone and also able to access the data of the user on the phone but can’t be able to unlock the phone fully.The Team has made three attacks of type “sniper”,” strength” and “stealth” and has been able to win $102,500 cash.

Obviously, there are also other teams who have tried, one of them has tried to unlock the phone using subsequent patched mobile chrome vulnerability but did not succeed in unlocking the phone.

Tecent keen has managed to install the rogue app on iPhone 6S and has unlocked some features of the iPhone 6s after rebooting the system, which was counted as a partial success.

However, no one is able to make a successful attack on Galaxy S7 and also not able-able to get little but access of phone in Trend Micro’s event.

Eventually, Recent Team has been able to score highest points in the competition and won $215,000 prize money.

According to the rules of Pwn2Own, all the vulnerabilities in the Nexus 6P and Android that let the attack break in will be provided to Google for patching.