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$10k Bounty for Critical Windows Flaws

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the rolling-in-the-benjamins dept.

An anonymous reader writes "iDefense, a Verisign company, is offering $10,000 to any researchers who find and report to it information on a previously unknown Windows flaw for which Microsoft later issues a "critical" advisory, according to a story over at Washingtonpost.com. Not really surprising, considering that Russian hacking groups are now paying thousands of dollars for exploits that attack unpatched holes in Windows. From the article: "Details of the flaw must be submitted exclusively to iDefense by March 31. There is no limit on the number of prizes that can be paid: if five researchers find and report five different Windows flaws for which Microsoft later issues critical advisories, all five will get paid...iDefense will change the focus of the challenge with each quarter -- the next challenge may focus on another vendor, or it may just center on particular class of vulnerabilities.""

13 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Buy MSFT now by biocute · · Score: 5, Funny

    I mean, who better than Bill Gates himself to submit hundreds of thousands of Windows exploits and makes zillions of them?

    1. Design flawed OS
    2. Wait for bounty on flaws
    3. Submit flaws
    4. Issue "critical" advisories on those flaws
    5. Profit!!!

    Mind you, if the bounty is for announced "patch" instead of "advisory", it will be almost impossible for BG to claim the prize.

    --
    Virtual Betting on Facebook for non-geeks.
    1. Re:Buy MSFT now by borawjm · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's all a joke...

      On April 1st, iDefense will file for bankruptcy. Ha. Ha. "April Fools!"

  2. Vista! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now where's my check?

    1. Re:Vista! by Mayhem178 · · Score: 1, Funny

      Nope, sorry. This is a fruitless offer. Windows doesn't contain flaws. It has unpublished features. No money for you.

      --

      "You will pay for your lack of vision..." - Emperor Palpatine to Ray Charles

  3. I could use an extra 10k by Yaksha42 · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's times like this, when the rent is due, that I wish I knew more about hacking. :(

  4. They're calling it... by deathbyzen · · Score: 2, Funny

    Operation: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

  5. Found it! by Fr05t · · Score: 5, Funny

    iexplore.exe

    You may send the prize money to PO Box 3872, Moncton, NB, Canada

  6. In the words of Dilbert by gasmonso · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some Vista developer is saying to himself, "I'm gonna code me a minivan!"

    http://religiousfreaks.com/
  7. Upcoming headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft patches 87,000 critical flaws. Verisign files for bankruptcy protection.

  8. Let's get the most obvious one out of the way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Users.

    My prize may be donated to the Association for Smacking Stupid People Upside the Head.

  9. Simpler plan for MS by this+great+guy · · Score: 3, Funny
    I have a simpler plan for MS:
    1. Design flawed OS
    2. Sell flawed OS
    3. Profit !!!
    Any ressemblance to any situation, person, event, past, present and future is completely fortuitous.
  10. I found a flaw!!! by Khyber · · Score: 3, Funny

    d:\setup.exe

    I'll take my ten grand now. Oh wait, I found another one!!

    explorer.exe

    There's twenty grand you owe me now!

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  11. Remote holes in Linux distros by StupidKatz · · Score: 2, Funny

    RedHat
    Mandrake
    Slackware (IIRC)

    ... and any other distro which enabled OpenSSH versions 2.3.1p1 through 3.3 by default.

    So, is that $10,000 per instance...? ;)