Apple iOS Zero-day exploit sold for $500,000

                Apple iOS Zero-day exploit sold for $500,000

1. The trade in software vulnerabilities has become big business in recent years. According to a report in the New York Times claiming that a security vulnerability in its iOS operating system was sold for $500,000 (£332,000) to an unnamed buyer by two hackers, Luigi Auriemma, 32, and Donato Ferrante, 28. Buyers want those vulnerabilities to break into the computer systems of foreign adversaries. The hackers run the company known as Revuln, and like France-based Vupen, it finds or acquires zero-day vulnerabilities that it can sell on to the highest bidder. Snowden confirmed that Stuxnet had been jointly developed by the US and Israel. There is no information on whether the zero-days in Stuxnet were discovered or bought, but nevertheless ACLU policy analyst Christopher Soghoian blames Stuxnet for the success of companies like Vupen and Revuln.