Vulnerability Reward Program: 2021 Year in Review

Posted by Sarah Jacobus, Vulnerability Rewards Team 

Last year was another record setter for our Vulnerability Reward Programs (VRPs). Throughout 2021, we partnered with the security researcher community to identify and fix thousands of  vulnerabilities – helping keep our users and the internet safe. 

Thanks to these incredible researchers, Vulnerability Reward Programs across Google continued to grow, and we are excited to report that in 2021 we awarded a record breaking $8,700,000 in vulnerability rewards – with researchers donating over $300,000 of their rewards to a charity of their choice. 

We also launched bughunters.google.com in 2021, a public researcher portal dedicated to keeping Google products and the internet safe and secure. This new platform brings all of our VRPs (Google, Android, Abuse, Chrome, and Google Play) closer together and provides a single intake form, making security bug submission easier than ever. We’re excited about everything the new Bug Hunters portal has to offer, including:

  • More opportunities for interaction and a bit of healthy competition through gamification, per-country leaderboards, awards/badges for certain bugs, and more!

  • A more functional and aesthetically pleasing leaderboard. We know a lot of you are using your achievements in our VRPs to find jobs (we’re hiring!) and we hope this acts as a useful resource.

  • A stronger emphasis on learning: bug hunters can improve their skills through the content available in our new Bug Hunter University

  • Streamlined publication process: we know the value that knowledge sharing brings to our community. That’s why we want to make it easier for you to publish your bug reports.

  • We now offer swag! The first 20 folks who share this blog post on Twitter and tag @GoogleVRP will receive a gift voucher for swag in their DMs.  


As in past years, we are sharing our 2021 Year in Review statistics across all of our programs. We would like to give a special thank you to all of our dedicated researchers – we look forward to more collaboration in the future!

Android

The Android VRP doubled its 2020 total payouts in 2021 with nearly $3 million dollars in rewards, and awarded the highest payout in Android VRP history: an exploit chain discovered in Android receiving a reward of $157,000!

Our industry leading prize of $1,500,000 for a compromise of our Titan-M Security chip used in our Pixel device remains unclaimed – for more information on this reward and Android exploit chain rewards, please visit our public rules page. 

The program also launched the Android Chipset Security Reward Program (ACSRP), a vulnerability reward program offered by Google in collaboration with manufacturers of certain popular Android chipsets. This private, invite-only program, provides reward and recognition for contributions of security researchers who invest their time and effort into helping make Android devices more secure. In 2021 the ACSRP paid out $296,000 for over 220 valid and unique security reports.  

We would like to give a special shoutout to some of our top researchers whose continued hard work keeps Android safe and secure:

  • Aman Pandey of Bugsmirror Team has skyrocketed to our top researcher last year, submitting 232 vulnerabilities in 2021! Since submitting their first report in 2019, Aman has reported over 280 valid vulnerabilities to the Android VRP and has been a crucial part of making our program so successful.

  • Yu-Cheng Lin (林禹成) (@AndroBugs) has been another phenomenal researcher for the Android VRP, submitting a whopping 128 valid reports to the program in 2021. 

  • Researcher gzobqq@gmail.com discovered a critical exploit chain in Android (CVE-2021-39698) , receiving the highest payout in Android VRP history of $157,000. 

Chrome

This year the Chrome VRP also set some new records – 115 Chrome VRP researchers were rewarded for 333 unique Chrome security bug reports submitted in 2021, totaling $3.3 million in VRP rewards. The contributions not only help us to improve Chrome, but also the web at large by bolstering the security of all browsers based on Chromium.

Of the $3.3 million, $3.1 million was awarded for Chrome Browser security bugs and $250,500 for Chrome OS bugs, including a $45,000 top reward amount for an individual Chrome OS security bug report and $27,000 for an individual Chrome Browser security bug report.

Of these totals, $58,000 was awarded for security issues discovered by fuzzers contributed by VRP researchers to the Chrome Fuzzing program. Each valid report from an externally provided fuzzer received a $1,000 patch bonus, with one fuzzer report receiving a $16,000 reward.

The Chrome VRP would not be able to smash these records over the last year without the efforts of so many exceptional VRP researchers. We’d like to highlight a few researcher achievements made in 2021:

  • Rory McNamara, a Chrome OS VRP researcher who has been participating in the Chrome VRP for five years, became the highest awarded Chrome VRP researcher of all time. This year he was rewarded for six reports achieving root privilege escalation in Chrome OS, one of which received the highest reward amount achieved for a single Chrome bug report in 2021 at $45,000. 

  • Chrome Browser VRP researcher Leecraso (@leecraso) of 360 Vulnerability Research Institute was the most awarded researcher of 2021, with 18 valid bug reports; a majority of which were for memory corruption vulnerabilities affecting the browser process.

 

  • We love when researchers write about their findings (only after we have publicly disclosed the bug, of course)! Chrome Browser VRP researcher Brendon Tiszka wrote an excellent two-part blog series on his discovery and exploitation of a V8 vulnerability, CVE-2021-21225, the analysis and reporting of which earned him a $22,000 VRP reward.

Huge thanks and congratulations to all Chrome VRP researchers that helped us make Chrome and Chrome OS more safe for all users in 2021!.

Google Play

Google Play paid out $550,000 in rewards to over 60 unique security researchers.

The Google Play Security Reward Program also released their Android App Hacking Workshop content and published a blog on their work to empower the next generation of Android Application Security Researchers. 

kCTF VRP

In November we expanded our reward amounts for exploits against our kCTF cluster from 5,000-10,000 up to 31,337-50,337 USD. In the last 3 months we were happy to have several participants receive $175,685 USD in rewards. We also extended the timeline of the increased rewards until February 14 (from January 31) which should give everyone a couple more weeks to finalize any almost-working exploits.

GCP VRP Prize

To encourage security researchers to focus on Google Cloud Platform, we initiated the annual GCP VRP Prize in 2019. In March this year, we announced the winners of the 2020 edition of the prize and paid out $313,337 in prizes. Ezequiel Pereira won the top prize of $133,337 for finding an RCE in Google Cloud Deployment Manager. We saw some amazing research on Google Cloud Platform this year too. Stay tuned for the 2021 winners!

Research Grants

Six years ago, the Google VRP launched an experimental Vulnerability Research Grant program to encourage seasoned security researchers to take a detailed and extensive look into the security of Google products and services. And reward them even if there are no vulnerabilities found. Six years later, we are happy to announce that in 2021 we awarded over $200,000 in grants to more than 120 security researchers around the world. 

If you are a Google VRP researcher and want to be considered for a Vulnerability Research Grant make sure you opted in on your bughunters profile.

Looking forward

With the launch of the new Bug Hunters portal, we plan to continue improving our platform and listening to you – our researchers – on ways we can improve our platform and Bug Hunter University. 

Thank you again for making Google, the Internet, and our users safe and secure! Follow us on @GoogleVRP

Thank you to Adam Bacchus, Dirk Göhmann, Sarah Jacobus, Amy Ressler, Martin Straka, Jan Keller, Jon Bottarini


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Home Security: Why You Should Put IoT Devices on a Guest Wi-Fi Network

Free photos of Computer

The number of internet-connected devices in homes has been growing. It’s increased exponentially over the last decade. A typical home now has 10.37 devices connected to the internet. PCs and mobile devices make up a little over half of those and the rest are IoT devices.

IoT stands for Internet of Things. It means any other type of “smart device” that connects online. IoT devices in a home can be everything from your streaming stick to your smart refrigerator. Smart baby monitors and Alexa voice assistants are also IoT.

There’s also been another change that has happened over the last couple of years. It has been the increase in remote and hybrid work. The pandemic caused a major shift in where we work, turning the standard office paradigm on its head.

Now, working remotely has become the norm for many companies around the world. This has put increased scrutiny on the security of all those IoT devices. They are now sharing a Wi-Fi network with business data and devices.

Here are two alarming statistics that illustrate the issue with IoT security:

  • During the first six months of 2021, the number of IoT cyberattacks was up by 135% over the prior year.
  • It’s estimated that over 25% of cyberattacks against businesses involve IoT devices

Hackers Use IoT Devices to Get to Computers & Smartphones

Smart devices are a risk to any other device on a network. They are typically easier to breach. So, hackers will use them as a gateway into more sensitive devices.

A criminal may not care about the shopping list stored in your smart refrigerator. But they’ll breach that IoT device to see what other devices are on the same network.

The hacker can then use sharing and permissions that are often present on home networks. Through these, they gain access to your work computer or mobile device. These devices hold important data, and access to personal details.

Why are IoT devices less secure than computers and smartphones? Here are a few reasons:

  • They usually won’t have antivirus or anti-malware capabilities
  • Users often don’t update IoT devices regularly
  • They have basic interfaces which can hide a breach of the device
  • People often don’t change the default device username and password.
  • Sharing settings on IoT devices makes them easier to hack

Improve Security by Putting IoT on a Separate Wi-Fi Network

Just about all modern routers will have the ability to set up a second Wi-Fi network, called a “guest network.” This shows up when you connect to Wi-Fi as a separate Wi-Fi that a device can use to get online.

Separate Wi-Fi

By putting all your IoT devices on a separate network you improve security. You cut that bridge that hackers use to go from an IoT device to another device on the same network. Such as those that hold sensitive information (computers and mobile devices).

In fact, when you separate those two (IoT devices and sensitive-info devices) a hacker can’t see all. If they breach one of your smart devices, they can’t tell you have a PC or smartphone. This is because they’re on the other network.

This is an important layer of security to use. Whether you’re a remote worker or use your computer for home budgeting and banking, it can help. All PCs and smartphones usually contain access to online banking or personal information.

Here are the steps to take to separate your IoT devices. (Note, you can also have this done by us, we’ll be happy to handle all these steps for you.)

  • Step 1: Log into your router settings.
  • Step 2: Look for an area that allows you to set up a guest network. This will be different for each router, so you may need to access a help guide online.
  • Step 3: Set up the guest network according to the router prompts. Make sure to use a strong password.
  • Step 4: Edit the password for your existing network. This keeps IoT devices from automatically reconnecting to it.
  • Step 5: Connect all IoT devices in your home to the new guest network.
  • Step 6: Reconnect your sensitive devices (computers, smartphones) to the preexisting network. Use the new password.

As you add any new devices to your home network, make sure to connect them to the appropriate network. This keeps the layer of security effective.

One more tip: When naming your Wi-Fi networks, don’t use descriptive names. This includes things like “IoT network” or your name, address, or router model name.

It’s best to use names that won’t give the hackers valuable information they can use in attacks.

Need Help Upgrading Your Home Cybersecurity?

With so many remote workers, hackers have begun targeting home networks. They know they can contain sensitive business as well as personal data. Don’t leave yourself open to a breach. Schedule a home internet security review today!

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

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Get More Unplugged Laptop Time with These Battery-Saving Hacks

turn-on laptop displaying 97 percent battery

One of the big draws of a laptop computer is that you can use it anywhere. You don’t need to have it plugged in all the time because it has an internal battery.

Your laptop may start out with several hours of battery life when you first buy it. But the lifespan can get shorter as time goes by and battery health takes a hit. Sometimes this can be due to a lack of PC maintenance. Other times, it’s due to the environments the laptop is subject to (such as a hot car).

Seeing your laptop’s battery capacity shrink can be frustrating. But there are several things you can do to increase the time you can go without needing to plug it in.

Lower the Display Brightness

The brighter your display is, the more battery power it’s taking. Have you ever hit the automated low battery mode on a laptop? Then you know you immediately notice a difference in brightness. This is because that setting turns down the brightness. It’s one of the ways to reduce battery consumption.

You can turn down the brightness of your screen in your display settings. You can also use the brightness keys that are usually in the top row of keys on a laptop keyboard.

Reduce PC Battery Use in Power/Sleep Settings

Here’s one way to increase the time you can use your unplugged laptop without a power source. Adjust some of its power and sleep settings.

Power Settings

If you’re using Windows, open the search on the Task Bar. Type in “power settings.” This directs you to the power, sleep, and battery settings in your system settings.

Look for any tips at the top for increasing battery longevity. Such as, making the time your screen goes dark after inactivity and the time it goes to sleep the same.

Then review the settings, such as Screen and sleep, and Power mode. Find the ones that will reduce your PC’s battery consumption. This will extend the time you can go without a new charge.

Power & Battery

Enable Battery-Saver Mode

You don’t have to wait until your PC hits 10% for it to go into battery-saver mode. You can control this and enable it yourself in your system settings.

Do you know you’re going to be without a power source for a while? Put your PC in power-saver or battery-saver mode right away, so you can extend the charge as long as possible.

Use the Manufacturer’s Battery Calibration Tool

Manufacturers will have their own PC maintenance tools installed. You can use for battery calibration. Sometimes calibrating the battery can correct an issue with a battery life. Especially if life has gotten shorter than when you first purchased your laptop.

Look for a manufacturer’s built-in maintenance app. It will usually be on the Task Bar unless you’ve hidden it. When you open that, you may find that you need to do a calibration or other maintenance task.

Battery Calibration Tool

Get a Computer Tune-up

If you have processes running in the background it can sap your battery life. Processes that aren’t needed can often run anyhow. Getting a computer tune-up from your IT provider can solve a lot of different issues. This includes such as computers that get sluggish, and often, the battery life too.

Consider Using Microsoft Edge Browser for Its Efficiency Settings

If like most people, you keep a lot of browser tabs open while you’re working on your PC. They could be sapping your battery power.

Consider trying Microsoft’s Edge browser. It has been gaining in popularity ever since it incorporated the Chromium engine. This is the same one Chrome uses.

The browser has several power-saving features that you can enable in your settings. Search “sleeping tabs” in Edge settings to find these. They include:

  • Enable efficiency mode (choose from the available options)
  • Enable Sleeping Tabs and fade them when asleep
  • Choose when you would like to put inactive browser tabs to sleep to conserve battery power.
Microsoft Edge Browser Features

Turn Off Unnecessary Apps Hogging Battery Power

Check the apps that are running on your PC in the Task Manager. Do you really need them all to run when you’re unplugged and trying to conserve battery power?

Often processes that aren’t 100% necessary all the time will be running. Such as an update service or cloud storage syncing app. Close the apps you don’t need to use at that time to lengthen battery life.

Keep Your PC Out of Too Much Heat or Freezing Temps

Both excess heat and freezing temperatures can be bad for a computer. This includes shortening the battery life.

You should never leave your laptop in a car on a hot day or when it’s freezing outside. Also, it might not seem particularly hot to you, but if it’s sunny, the inside of a vehicle can heat up pretty quickly. Be aware of the temperature extremes that your laptop is subject to.

Looking for a PC Tune-Up or Battery Replacement?

We can help you with a full system tune-up or a laptop battery replacement if needed. Don’t struggle with short battery life when you can have that fixed in no time! Give us a call today and let’s chat.

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Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

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ESET Threat Report T3 2021

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US: Your AI has to explain its decisions

No more turning a blind eye to algorithmic bias and discrimination if US lawmakers get their way

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Week in security with Tony Anscombe

What to know before scanning a QR code – Has your phone been hacked? – Watch your back and keep shoulder surfers at bay

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Think before you scan: How fraudsters can exploit QR codes to steal money

QR codes are all the rage and scammers have taken notice. Look out for dangers lurking behind those little black-and-white squares.

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Shoulder surfing: Watch out for eagle‑eyed snoopers peeking at your phone

Some fraudsters may use low-tech tactics to steal your sensitive information – peering over your shoulder as you enter that data is one of them

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How to tell if your phone has been hacked

Think your smartphone has been compromised by malware? Here’s how to spot the signs of a hacked phone and how to remove the hacker from your phone.

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