This year’s PWN 2 OWN contest allowed security researchers to choose between machines running 3 different operating system flavors: Linux, OS X, and Vista.

Charlie Miller (of iPhone fame) was able to exploit a vulnerability in the Safari web browser that allowed him to take over the MacBook Air running OS X in about 2 minutes, winning him $10k.

From Engadget :

Apparently Mr. Miller visited a website which contained his exploit code (presumably via a crossover cable connected to a nearby MacBook), which then “allowed him to seize control of the computer, as about 20 onlookers [read: unashamed nerds] cheered him on.” Of note, contestants could only use software that came pre-loaded on the OS, so obviously it was Safari that fell victim here.

It just goes to show— vulnerabilities can exist anywhere and new ones are always being discovered. Just because you run a certain operating system or you use a certain type of software doesn’t mean you should let your guard down.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 1:19 am by Nick Staples and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.