**Tesla Hacked: 37 Zero-Days Demoed at Pwn2Own Automotive 2026**
The world of automotive security was shaken on the first day of the Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 competition, as a team of skilled hackers successfully breached the Tesla Infotainment System, exploiting a staggering 37 zero-day vulnerabilities in the process.
The Synacktiv Team took home an impressive $35,000 after chaining an information leak and an out-of-bounds write flaw to gain root permissions on the Tesla Infotainment System. But that was just the beginning – they also managed to chain three vulnerabilities to gain root-level code execution on the Sony XAV-9500ES digital media receiver, earning them an additional $20,000 in cash awards.
But the Synacktiv Team wasn't the only one to make a splash at Pwn2Own. The Fuzzware.io team collected a whopping $118,000 after hacking into several devices, including an Alpitronic HYC50 Charging Station, an Autel charger, and a Kenwood DNR1007XR navigation receiver.
The PetoWorks team also made their mark on the competition, earning $50,000 for chaining three zero-day bugs to gain root privileges on a Phoenix Contact CHARX SEC-3150 charging controller. And Team DDOS took home a cool $72,500 after hacking the ChargePoint Home Flex, the Autel MaxiCharger, and the Grizzl-E Smart 40A vehicle charging station.
But what's even more impressive is that this is just the beginning – on the second day of Pwn2Own, four teams will attempt to hack the Grizzl-E Smart 40A, three teams will target the Autel MaxiCharger, and two teams will try to root the ChargePoint Home Flex. Each successful attempt will earn the hackers a tidy $50,000.
The stakes are high at Pwn2Own Automotive 2026, but the rewards are worth it – vendors have just 90 days to develop and release security fixes before TrendMicro's Zero Day Initiative publicly discloses the zero-day flaws. The competition is a critical step in identifying vulnerabilities and protecting the automotive industry from potential threats.
**Pwn2Own Automotive 2026: A Hackathon Like No Other**
The Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 hacking contest takes place this week in Tokyo, Japan, during the Automotive World auto conference. The competition focuses on automotive technologies, including fully patched in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, and car operating systems (e.g., Automotive Grade Linux).
Throughout the three-day event, security researchers will target a range of devices and systems, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in terms of hacking and vulnerability discovery. The complete schedule for this year's automotive competition is available here, while the full schedule for the first day and the results for each challenge are available here.
**A Record-Breaking Day**
The Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 contest has already broken records – in fact, it's one of the largest and most lucrative hacking competitions ever held. The competition concluded with hackers collecting a staggering $886,250 after exploiting 49 zero-day vulnerabilities during last year's event.
But that's not all – the first Pwn2Own Automotive contest in 2024 saw hackers collect another $1,323,750 in cash awards after demoing 49 zero-day bugs in multiple electric car systems and hacking Tesla twice. The competition is a clear indication of just how serious the automotive industry takes security.
And as the stakes continue to rise, it's clear that Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 is an event not to be missed – stay tuned for updates on the latest developments from the world of automotive hacking!