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March 31st, 2008

Pwn2Own: What OS really won?

Posted by Larry Dignan @ 1:05 pm

Categories: Apple, Exploit code, Microsoft, Open source, Vulnerability research, Windows Vista

Tags: Ubuntu, Operating System, Apple MacBook, Microsoft Windows Vista, Apple Inc., Hacker, Pwn2Own, Notebooks, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Hardware

Apple had a rough security week. Vista was hacked. And Linux is unhackable. Those takeaways appear to be the consensus view following the Pwn2Own contest but it’s not that simple.

Under the contest rules, organizers offered the Sony Vaio (Ubuntu 7.10), Fujitsu U810 (Vista Ultimate), and the MacBook (OS X 10.5.2) as prizes. Sure, the MacBook fell first at the Pwn2Own contest at CanSecWest last week. And yes, the MacBook was fully patched and still fell. But the odds were strong that the MacBook would have been the first to fall no matter what Apple did.

Why?

Glory. Taking down a MacBook gets the headlines. It’s sexy. It’s a blogger’s dream. The more prominent Apple becomes the more hackers want to attack it. Simply put, security by obscurity isn’t an option for Apple anymore. Why wouldn’t hackers target the MacBook first? 

Based on that aforementioned theory MacBook’s fate was sealed.

I reckon that Vista actually had a good week at the Pwn2Own contest. As Nate dutifully noted Vista was hacked, but the rules had to be tweaked and hackers used an Adobe flaw to take the Vista laptop. I’d count that as a moral victory for Microsoft. What’s a hacking contest without a Vista hack?

And that brings me to the Ubuntu laptop. Linux made it out of Pwn2Own unscathed. Does that mean that Ubuntu is unhackable? Not quite. It just means that hackers didn’t see the glory in taking down Ubuntu, which is a small sliver of the desktop OS market. Rest assured, if Pwn2Own ran another day Ubuntu would have stumbled too.

When you see Ubuntu hacked repeatedly you know the Linux OS has hit the big leagues. Vulnerabilities follow success.

Larry DignanLarry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 104 Talkback(s)
RE: Pwn2Own: What OS really won?
I Agree with "I Disagree" philpenn.
Also, give the Hackers 5 days, but DO Explain the Hack just to be 'Up & Up'."Trust but verify".
I left Windows back in 2000 and now run Ubuntu 9.04 on 2 Lapto... (Read the rest)
Posted by: ichi-do-yo Posted on: 06/20/09 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
They all lost!  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
Well said - thank!  ANUBUS | 04/01/08
not really  Mitch 74 | 04/01/08
You make me laugh....  evilkillerwhale@... | 04/03/08
*blinks* IE is not in Vista?  wolftalamasca | 04/04/08
To my knowledge no rules were tweaked.  ye | 03/31/08
Because  Mectron | 03/31/08
I am a Mac user  jorjitop | 03/31/08
thanks.  lostarchitect | 04/01/08
well...  evilkillerwhale@... | 04/03/08
Leaps and bounds faster than Leopard?  Kid Icarus-21097050858087920245213802267493 | 04/17/08
like i said...  RGalway | 03/25/09
digital prejudices or racism?  RGalway | 03/25/09
I think your knowledge is incomplete.  Zogg | 03/31/08
How is my knowledge incomplete?  ye | 03/31/08
No idea, but that's not the point.  Zogg | 03/31/08
Yes, that's exactly the point.  ye | 03/31/08
Ye, stop inventing issues so that you can bicker over them!  Zogg | 04/01/08
IOW you can't provide the requested information.  ye | 04/01/08
Ye: You invented this issue, so you can solve it.  Zogg | 04/01/08
@Zogg: Why won't you support your position?  ye | 04/01/08
Re: Ye, stop inventing issues so that you can bicker over them!  none none | 04/01/08
None none: We agree. Well, almost.  Zogg | 04/01/08
What he is saying is:  evilkillerwhale@... | 04/03/08
Consumers lost?  Norcross | 03/31/08
The moment they changed the rules...  BitTwiddler | 03/31/08
RE: The moment they changed the rules...  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
do you not read anything before speaking?  Paul Fletcher | 04/01/08
I disagree  philpenn | 04/02/08
Flash bug  larry@... | 03/31/08
RE: Flash bug  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
I would like to see  Linux User 147560 | 03/31/08
have to completely ...  thx-1138_@... | 04/01/08
I really like that option (nt)  philpenn | 04/02/08
Same here...  pyrr | 04/02/08
Another good idea...  nmcfeters | 04/02/08
Even Then  DannyO_0x98 | 03/31/08
RE: Pwn2Own: What OS really won?  reverseswing | 03/31/08
RE: Pwn2Own: What OS really won?  devlin_X | 03/31/08
RE: I disagree  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
So, your conclusion is ...  n0neXn0ne | 03/31/08
The Spin Zone  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
par for the course (nt)  n0neXn0ne | 03/31/08
RE: Par for the course  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
RE: Par for the course  rtk | 03/31/08
Credulity  pyrr | 04/02/08
Disagreeing with the truth doesn't make it false.  bmerc | 04/01/08
This is what's awesome about journalism  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
RE: This is what's awesome ...  n0neXn0ne | 04/01/08
RE: Wow, you are a moron  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
LOL  evilkillerwhale@... | 04/03/08
What OS really won? NOBODY  wackoae | 03/31/08
RE: Safari not a direct hack?  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
no, OS X was hacked via a 1st party tool  rtk | 03/31/08
RE: Sell it and buy it back  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
RE: Pwn2Own: What OS really won?  brokndodge@... | 03/31/08
Rules  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
Rule Change for ZDNet  Johnny Vegas | 04/01/08
Good Ideas  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
Good Analogy  philpenn | 04/02/08
Hahaha  nmcfeters | 04/02/08
glory! lol (nt)  catseverywhere@... | 03/31/08
Don't agree with the glory theory  storm14k | 03/31/08
What OS really won?  Sysadm1n | 03/31/08
RE: No spin, just facts  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
No Spin? Just as Vulnerable?  Sysadm1n | 03/31/08
Don't count on adobe offering full disclosure.  rtk | 03/31/08
Who's counting on Adobe?  Sysadm1n | 04/01/08
RE: Facts from the author  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
Facts ARE Important, So...  RandallR | 04/04/08
RE: What OS really won?  n0neXn0ne | 04/01/08
what are you linux fans - 6 or something  Paul Fletcher | 04/01/08
RE: Show You  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
re: Show You?  n0neXn0ne | 04/01/08
Are you even reading the other information presented?  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
Is going to a website you set up from the browser really a hack???  Scott Schaefer | 03/31/08
RE:  nmcfeters | 03/31/08
Is this your article on Linux being the only....  mrOSX | 04/01/08
RE: Linux  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
How can you say this  mrOSX | 04/01/08
RE:  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
Flash did not lead to a comprise of 3 systems  mrOSX | 04/01/08
We don't live in a time bubble  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
My Point of View  laxmanb | 04/01/08
RE: Is this to me?  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
It's to the author of the blog.  laxmanb | 04/01/08
I disagree  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
Someone test it.  b.bob | 04/01/08
RE:  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
Root access??  Johnny Vegas | 04/01/08
RE:  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
Rule Change by ZDNET  Johnny Vegas | 04/01/08
RE: Pwn2Own: What OS really won?  FsckYou | 04/01/08
RE:  nmcfeters | 04/01/08
Make your mind up  CreepinJesus | 04/02/08
Clarification  nmcfeters | 04/02/08
Hacker glory  nilotpal_c | 04/02/08
RE: Hacker Glory  nmcfeters | 04/02/08
I think that  nilotpal_c | 04/03/08
Was the Mac really targetted "for the glory?"  JDThompson | 04/02/08
Hahaha  nmcfeters | 04/03/08
RE: Pwn2Own: What OS really won?  RandallR | 04/04/08
RE: Pwn2Own: What OS really won?  EricXL | 04/18/09
RE: Pwn2Own: What OS really won?  ichi-do-yo | 06/20/09

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