Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

$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.""

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

    Now where's my check?

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

    iexplore.exe

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

  4. 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/
  5. Upcoming headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

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