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Introduction:
Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 wrapped up with an explosive finale, setting new benchmarks for vulnerability research, bug bounty achievements, and cybersecurity competition intensity. Held during the OffensiveCon conference, this yearâs event featured an exciting twistâintroducing an AI exploitation category for the first time ever. Security researchers from around the world converged to demonstrate their prowess in uncovering critical vulnerabilities, earning both fame and generous cash prizes. Hereâs a detailed look into what went down and why this event marks a major milestone for cybersecurity and ethical hacking communities.
Event Summary: Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 Highlights
On the final day of the high-stakes hacking competition Pwn2Own Berlin 2025, participants secured a staggering \$383,750 in rewards by unveiling multiple zero-day vulnerabilities across major software platforms like VMware Workstation, VMware ESXi, Windows 11, NVIDIA drivers, and Mozilla Firefox.
Throughout the competition, hackers collectively earned \$1,078,750 by uncovering 28 unique zero-day vulnerabilities, including seven zero-days in the newly introduced AI categoryâa nod to the growing intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
STAR Labs SG emerged as the top team, earning the coveted âMaster of Pwnâ title by securing \$320,000 in prize money and accumulating 35 points.
Notable highlights include:
Corentin BAYET (@OnlyTheDuck) from @Reverse_Tactics demonstrated a dual-bug exploit on VMware ESXi, one of which collided with a previous submission, yet his unique integer overflow netted him \$112,500 and 11.5 points.
Thomas Bouzerar (@MajorTomSec) and Etienne Helluy-Lafont from Synacktiv exploited a heap-based buffer overflow in VMware Workstation, earning them \$80,000 and 8 points.
The team of Dung and Nguusd (@MochiNishimiya) from STAR Labs pulled off a clever attack combining a TOCTOU (Time-of-check to time-of-use) race condition for a VM escape and an array index validation bypass for Windows privilege escalation, bagging \$70,000 and 9 points.
In the final hack of the event, MiloĹĄ IvanoviÄ (infosec.exchange/@ynwarcs) executed a race condition exploit on Windows 11, achieving SYSTEM-level privileges and earning \$15,000 and 3 points.
This yearâs competition was also unique in being hosted alongside OffensiveCon, a respected security conference, amplifying its exposure and drawing a broader audience.
What Undercode Say: A Deeper Look into Pwn2Own Berlin 2025
The growing complexity of digital infrastructureâvirtual machines, GPU drivers, browsers, and now AI systemsâmakes vulnerability research more crucial than ever. Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 demonstrated not only the talents of individual security researchers but also painted a stark picture of how fragile even widely trusted systems remain.
1. Rise of AI Vulnerability Hunting:
With 7 zero-days identified in AI platforms, the event signals a new frontier for threat actors and defenders alike. As AI integration becomes ubiquitousâfrom cloud orchestration to autonomous systemsâthis categoryâs inclusion is both timely and necessary. The offensive security community is clearly taking the challenge seriously.
2. Virtualization Layer Still Vulnerable:
VMware’s consistent presence in vulnerability disclosures (Workstation and ESXi) across multiple years reinforces that virtualization is a key target area. Enterprises relying on VM-based isolation must rethink their current security assumptions and adopt stronger segmentation practices.
3. Exploit Variety Highlights Rich Attack Surface:
From heap-based overflows to TOCTOU bugs and race conditions, the array of techniques used reveals a robust toolkit in the hands of researchers. This is both inspiring and concerningâit shows how creative attackers can be and how layered defense strategies must evolve to keep up.
4. Collision Handling and Fairness in Rewards:
The event organizers maintained fairness by recognizing the uniqueness of partial overlaps in bugs. For example, Corentin Bayetâs exploit overlapped with a previous submission but still received full compensation for the original element of his chain. This encourages transparent sharing of discoveries without penalty.
5. Economy of Bugs and Hacker Motivation:
Payouts totaling over \$1 million in just three days suggest that ethical hacking is not just intellectually satisfyingâitâs economically viable. More professionals might now be inspired to move from black-hat to white-hat avenues, boosting the collective resilience of cyberspace.
Fact Checker Results â
The event awarded a confirmed $1,078,750 in total
STAR Labs SG officially crowned âMaster of Pwnâ đ
AI category made its first-ever appearance in Pwn2Own đ
Prediction: Where Cybersecurity Heads Next
Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 set a precedent thatâs likely to influence the entire cybersecurity industry for years. With AI now a core part of the competition, expect:
Increased funding in AI threat detection tools
More AI exploit submissions in future competitions
Vendor collaboration with white-hat hackers to patch faster
Broader public recognition of hacking competitions as vital to defense research
As attackers evolve, defenders must stay several steps aheadâand events like Pwn2Own show exactly how thatâs done.
References:
Reported By: securityaffairs.com
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