Seunghyun Lee from Hacking Lab (Advisor: Insu Yun) Wins 190 million Won Prize at International Hacking Contest ‘Pwn2Own’
<(from left) Professor Insu Yun, Seunghyun Lee student>
Seunghyun Lee from Hacking Lab (Advisor: Insu Yun) at KAIST’s EE Department, achieved notable prize at the international hacking contest ‘Pwn2Own,’ held from March 20th to 21st at Toronto, Canada. Seunghyun Lee discovered and successfully exploited two browser vulnerabilities, earning a total prize of $145,000 (approximately 190 million won).
During this competition, Seunghyun Lee also achieved a ‘double tap’ by exploiting a vulnerability in both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers simultaneously.
‘Pwn2Own’ is a hacking contest in which big global IT companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple participate as partners. It targets actual products that constitute the core of modern computer systems, such as browsers, operating systems, and virtual machines.
This contest not only provides prize money and prestige but also contributes to enhancing user safety/privacy by patching vulnerabilities discovered after the competition.
Professor Insu Yun evaluated this award as proof that KAIST’s hacking skill has reached a global level and expressed his expectation for the emergence of many talents who will developinto top researchers and hackers at KAIST in the future.
This achievement, recognized at an international competition, serves as an opportunity to showcase KAIST’s technological prowess and students’ excellence to the world.
