Pwn2Own Berlin 2025: Hackers Cash In with $435K Day, VMware ESXi Gets Pwned!

Nguyen Hoang Thach of STARLabs SG made history at Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 by exploiting VMware ESXi with a single integer overflow, pocketing $150,000 and 15 Master of Pwn points. Who knew one integer overflow could lead to such a lucrative payday?

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Published: May 16, 2025 8:51 pmAdded: May 16, 2025 at 2:16 pmAssembled by: The Editor
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Hot Take:

Looks like the bug bounty hunters at Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 are cashing in faster than a cybercriminal at a Black Friday sale! With VMware ESXi, Microsoft SharePoint, and even our trusty pal Firefox in the crosshairs, this is one cybersecurity smackdown that’s got everyone reaching for the popcorn—and their wallets!

Key Points:

  • Day two of Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 resulted in $435,000 awarded to participants.
  • Nguyen Hoang Thach of STARLabs SG scored $150,000 for hacking VMware ESXi.
  • A total of 20 unique zero-days were demonstrated in products like SharePoint, ESXi, and Firefox.
  • New AI category introduced at Pwn2Own for the first time.
  • Total earnings for the event reached $695,000 with one more day to go.

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