Pwn2Own Contest Will Pay $900,000 For Hacks That Exploit Tesla's Model 3

The Model 3 will be entered into Pwn2Own this year, the first time a car has been included in the annual high-profile hacking contest. The prize for the winning security researchers: a Model 3. TechCrunch reports: Pwn2Own, which is in its 12th year and run by Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative, is known as one of the industry's toughest hacking contests. ZDI has awarded more than $4 million over the lifetime of the program. Pwn2Own's spring vulnerability research competition, Pwn2Own Vancouver, will be held March 20 to 22 and will feature five categories, including web browsers, virtualization software, enterprise applications, server-side software and the new automotive category. The targets, chosen by ZDI, include software products from Apple, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Oracle and VMware. And, of course, Tesla. Pwn2Own is run in conjunction with the CanSec West conference. There will be 'more than $900,000 worth of prizes available for attacks that subvert a variety of [the Model 3's] onboard systems,' reports Ars Technica. 'The biggest prize will be $250,000 for hacks that execute code on the car's getaway, autopilot, or VCSEC.' 'A gateway is the central hub that interconnects the car's powertrain, chassis, and other components and processes the data they send. The autopilot is a driver assistant feature that helps control lane changing, parking, and other driving functions. Short for Vehicle Controller Secondary, VCSEC is responsible for security functions, including the alarm.'

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