US Air Force Hacked By Teenager

Bug bounty programs are projects that companies and organizations start to get people to find and report website vulnerabilities. Think of these hackers as the good guys, hackers in white hats. Plenty of big companies run bug bounty programs, including Facebook, Google and Uber.

You might think the people doing this kind of work are seasoned pros, but often the hackers making bug bounty money are teens like Jack Cable. He competed against 600 hackers from around the world in the Hack the Air Force, a partnership between the US Department of Defense and HackerOne, a bug bounty platform.

Cable sat down with Marketplace Tech's Ben Johnson to talk about his win. An edited excerpt of their interview follows.

Ben Johnson: My condolences on the end of your summer break. You have to go be a senior in high school. But you were pretty busy this summer.

Jack Cable: Yeah, so this summer I participated in the Hack the Air Force program, and that was the U.S. government's third bug bounty program. So they invited 600 of the top hackers from across the world to try to find vulnerabilities in the Air Force's site.

Johnson: And you won the whole thing?

Cable: Yeah, so I found 40 vulnerabilities, and that placed me first in the leader board.

Johnson: Do you have a favorite?

Cable: So I found what's known as an XML external entities vulnerability. That handles the applications processing of XML, which is a type of input data. I found that I could give it a URL and the application would make a request to that website. And I was able to escalate that after working on for a few hours into a remote code execution.

So that would allow me to basically do whatever I wanted. So I could access all the user data that was on the website and I could change anything that I wanted to.

Johnson: Wow. How did you get into this?

Cable: I was 15 and I accidentally stumbled across a vulnerability in a financial site. I found that I was able to send negative amount of money to other users, and that would effectively steal money from their accounts. That financial site ran a bug bounty program, so I submitted to there. And then I sort of got into hacking from there.

Johnson: It seems like you're one of the good guys. Why did you decide to be a good guy?

Cable: I try to be because it's really risky if you try to exploit vulnerabilities that you find. You could wind up in jail or be sued by different companies. The advantages of these bug bounty programs are great because you get recognition from the companies, they pay you and you get to say you found a vulnerability rather than just having to hide it.

Marketplace.org

You Might Also Read:

HBO Offers Hackers $250,000 'bug bounty':

The US Air Force Wants You to Build a Drone Engine:

 

« Former Spy Chief Takes Top Cybersecurity Job
Mini Drones That Can See In The Dark »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Jooble

Jooble

Jooble is a job search aggregator operating in 71 countries worldwide. We simplify the job search process by displaying active job ads from major job boards and career sites across the internet.

WEBINAR: How To Build And Implement An Effective Endpoint Detection And Response Strategy

WEBINAR: How To Build And Implement An Effective Endpoint Detection And Response Strategy

Join this webinar to learn how the cloud threat landscape is evolving and organizations are deploying more advanced and capable security controls at scale.

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Our Supplier Directory lists 6,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

Perimeter 81 / How to Select the Right ZTNA Solution

Perimeter 81 / How to Select the Right ZTNA Solution

Gartner insights into How to Select the Right ZTNA offering. Download this FREE report for a limited time only.

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO Technology

XYPRO is the market leader in HPE Non-Stop Security, Risk Management and Compliance.

Sapphire

Sapphire

Sapphire provides solutions designed to protect your infrastructure, assets, data and users against current and emerging threats. We are founders of the National Information Security Conference (NISC)

RIVA Solutions

RIVA Solutions

RIVA provides innovative best practices in IT and management consulting, program support services and emerging technologies.

HYAS Infosec

HYAS Infosec

HYAS is a highly skilled information security firm developing the next generation of information security technology.

MerlinCryption

MerlinCryption

MerlinCryption develops infrastructure security software, delivering advanced encryption, authentication, and random data generators, for Cloud, VoIP, eCommerce, M2M, and USB hardware.

Think Cyber Security (ThinkCyber)

Think Cyber Security (ThinkCyber)

ThinkCyber is a Tel Aviv-based Israeli company with a team of cybersecurity professionals who are experts in both information and operations technology.

PRESENSE Technologies

PRESENSE Technologies

PRESENSE Technologies specializes in monitoring and enforcing IT security policies at critical points in the network and on end systems.

H-ON Consulting

H-ON Consulting

H-ON Consulting develops and applies robust cyber security procedures enabling control systems to be secure.

Pluribus One

Pluribus One

Pluribus One develops customized solutions and other data-driven applications to secure your business and your devices.

Naukrigulf

Naukrigulf

Naukrigulf.com is one of the fastest growing job sites in the Gulf, with thousands of registered job seekers and a robust CV database across many sectors, including cybersecurity.

689cloud

689cloud

689Cloud is a cloud content collaboration platform that allows users to protect, track, and control files AFTER they have been shared.

Grayshift

Grayshift

Grayshift is the leading provider of mobile device digital forensics, specializing in lawful access and extraction.

Nassec

Nassec

Nassec is a Cyber Security firm dedicated to providing the best vulnerability management solutions. We offer tailor-made cyber security solutions based upon your requirements and nature of business.

Fusion Risk Management

Fusion Risk Management

Fusion Risk Management focuses on operational resilience encompassing business continuity, risk management, IT risk, and crisis and incident management.

Cyber Law Consulting

Cyber Law Consulting

Cyber Law Consulting is a Dynamic full service legal firm which offers complete services for Cyber Law, cyberlaw, Internet Law, Data Protection Act, Cyber Security, IPR, Drafting.

Insight Enterprises

Insight Enterprises

Insight is a leading solutions integrator, helping you navigate today’s ever-changing business environment with teams of technical experts and decades of industry experience.

ASPIA InfoTech

ASPIA InfoTech

ASPIA Infotech is a leading Information and cybersecurity organization focused on innovative approaches to avert targeted attacks.