PWN2OWN: What's a Vulnerability Worth?

"Every day, hackers around the world try and find exploits in Web browsers and mobile platforms. Today, however, at least some will be helping the industry.

"That's the thinking behind the third annual PWN2OWN contest, which kicks off today at the CanSecWest conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. There, security researchers will be looking for vulnerabilities and profiting from them immediately -- with cold hard cash.

"The three-day effort PWN2OWN contest isn't just about exposing holes in software so that hackers can get a payout. Rather, the contest is designed as a legitimate way to help vendors find and fix security holes before they are exploited in the wild -- where they can do real damage."

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