In an incredible development, a group of researchers at this week’s Pwn2Own Automotive conference hacked a Tesla’s infotainment system, netting them $35,000.
Team Synacktiv, one of several participants in the hackathon, won $35,000 after linking multiple zero-day exploits and hacking a Tesla using a USB-based attack.
What’s surprising is that the team also gained access to the Sony XAV-9500ES digital media receiver and pocketed an additional $20,000 for their efforts.
This event shows that major infotainment systems backed by high-end security are on the verge of falling victim to hackers.
The third annual Pwn2Own Automotive, organized by Zero Day Initiative, is currently taking place in Tokyo, with 73 safety teams competing.
Researchers won more than half a million dollars in prizes in the first 24 hours of the show alone, PCMag noted, citing the BleepingComputer report.
It was also highlighted that Tesla electric vehicles are one of the main targets of the conference.
Several hacker groups at the show exploited infotainment systems to illegally access various vehicles.
In a similar case, the Fuzzware.io team repossessed the Autel MaxiCharger car charger and got a $50,000 reward. Other groups have successfully hacked the Phoenix Contact charging connector and the Grizzl-E Smart charger.
The top team on day one was Fuzzware, with a whopping $118,000 in prize money.
Despite this year’s sensational show, it remains to be seen whether the total payout will match what was paid before.
The first 2024 issue raised more than $1.3 million in security bonuses, but the 2025 issue distributed $886,000.
As the show has only distributed $516,500 in bonuses and prizes in 2026 so far, this could improve digital vehicle security.
