Pwn2Own Automotive Day One: Tesla Hacked, $516K Awarded

Security researchers earned $516,500 for demonstrating 37 unique zero-day vulnerabilities on the first day of Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 in Tokyo. Targets included Tesla's infotainment system, electric vehicle chargers from multiple manufacturers, and in-vehicle entertainment units—all compromised through previously unknown flaws.

The competition, running January 21-23 at the Automotive World conference, offers over $1 million in total prizes. Tesla and EV charging company Alpitronic serve as title sponsors, putting their own products on the hacking stage.

Tesla Falls to Synacktiv Chain

French security firm Synacktiv successfully compromised the Tesla Infotainment system through a USB-based attack, chaining an information disclosure bug with an out-of-bounds write vulnerability to achieve a root shell. The exploit earned $35,000 and 3.5 Master of Pwn points.

Tesla remains the competition's highest-value target, offering double-digit points that make it both the most rewarding and most challenging category. Participants attack a benchtop setup replicating the Ryzen-based system found in Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.

This marks another successful Tesla compromise at Pwn2Own. The company has embraced vulnerability research programs, using findings to harden production vehicles against real-world attacks.

EV Chargers Draw Heavy Fire

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure absorbed significant attention. Researchers successfully exploited multiple charger models:

Team	Target	Vulnerabilities	Prize
Fuzzware.io	Autel charger	Missing authentication + signature bypass	$50,000
299/SKShieldus	Grizzl-E Smart 40A	Hardcoded credentials + untrusted code execution	$40,000
Team DDOS	ChargePoint Home Flex	Command injection	$40,000
PetoWorks	Phoenix Contact CHARX SEC-3150	DoS, race condition, command injection	$50,000
Fuzzware.io	Alpitronic HYC50	Out-of-bounds write	$60,000

The charger attacks highlight growing concerns about EV infrastructure security. As charging networks expand, compromised units could enable payment fraud, service disruption, or attacks against connected vehicles.

Infotainment Systems Compromised

In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) units also fell to researchers:

• Neodyme AG exploited a stack-based buffer overflow to achieve root access on the Alpine iLX-F511, earning $20,000
• Compass Security used an exposed dangerous method vulnerability against the same Alpine unit for $10,000
• Interrupt Labs demonstrated a heap-based buffer overflow against the Kenwood DNR1007XR for $10,000
• Synacktiv chained three vulnerabilities against the Sony XAV-9500ES for $20,000

Multiple researchers targeting the same device with different bugs—as seen with the Alpine unit—indicates these systems have substantial attack surface. IVI systems increasingly integrate with vehicle networks, navigation, and smartphone connectivity, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking deeper vehicle access.

Master of Pwn Race

Fuzzware.io leads the Master of Pwn standings after Day One, with Team DDOS close behind. The title goes to the team accumulating the most points across all three competition days, factoring in both successful exploits and target difficulty.

Several collisions occurred where multiple teams discovered the same vulnerability independently. Competition rules reduce awards for duplicate findings, though researchers still receive credit for valid discoveries.

What Happens to These Bugs

All vulnerabilities demonstrated at Pwn2Own get reported to affected vendors through Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative, which organizes the competition. Vendors receive details and time to develop patches before public disclosure.

This responsible disclosure model makes Pwn2Own valuable for the automotive industry. Manufacturers get actionable vulnerability reports from skilled researchers, while the security community earns recognition and substantial prizes for work that might otherwise go unreported—or get sold to less scrupulous buyers.

Days Two and Three continue through January 23. Additional Tesla attempts are scheduled, along with more EV charger and infotainment targets. The final prize total will likely exceed $1.3 million based on historical results.

For automotive security teams, the competition's findings preview the vulnerability classes that matter: memory corruption in embedded systems, authentication bypasses in networked infrastructure, and attack chains that escalate from information disclosure to code execution. These patterns will appear in real-world attacks once patches roll out and technical details become public.