ForAllSecure Blog

Mayhem Wins DARPA CGC

Mayhem is a fully autonomous system for finding and fixing computer security vulnerabilities.On Thursday, August 4, 2016, Mayhem competed in the historical DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge against other computers in a fully automatic hacking contest...and won.  The team walked away with $2 million dollars, which ForAllSecure will use to continue its mission to automatically check the world's software for exploitable bugs.

We'll write up a longer post on what this means (and what we fielded and learned). In the mean time, here are some of the media articles about the win.

BBC News: ‘Mayhem’ program wins grand hacking challenge
By Staff
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36980307

Hacking-Turnier in Las Vegas: Kampf der Maschinen
By Von Uli Ries
http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/games/cyber-grand-challenge-in-las-vegas-server-gegen-server-a-1106293.html

The Christian Science Monitor: With the drama but not the bruises, hacking becomes a spectator sport
By Jeff Stone
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Passcode/Security-culture/2016/0805/With-the-drama-but-not-the-bruises-hacking-becomes-a-spectator-sport

CIO Dive: ‘Mayhem’ reigns at first all-computer hacking tournament
By Justine Brown
http://www.ciodive.com/news/mayhem-reigns-at-first-all-computer-hacking-tournament/423920/

CNET: Rise of the hacking machines
By Laura Hautala
http://www.cnet.com/news/rise-of-the-hacking-machines-darpa-cyber-grand-challenge/

Computer World: ‘Mayhem’ takes first in DARPA’s all-computer hacking challenge
By Sharon Gaudin
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3104891/security/mayhem-takes-first-in-darpas-all-computer-hacking-challenge.html

Dark Reading: Team With Carnegie Mellon Roots Wins Machine Hacking Contest
By Steve Zurier
http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/team-with-carnegie-mellon-roots-wins-machine-hacking-contest-/d/d-id/1326524

Defense Daily Network: DARPA Announces Preliminary Winner Of Automated Cyber Defense Exercise
By Rich Abott
http://www.defensedaily.com/darpa-announces-preliminary-winner-of-automated-cyber-defense-exercise/

Engineering and Technology Magazine: Cyber-hackers win $2m for designing auto-hacking program
By Jack Loughran
http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2016/aug/cyber-hackers-2m-competition-darpa.cfm

Enterprise Security Today: ‘Mayhem’ Takes $2 Million First Prize in DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge
By Dan Heilman
http://www.enterprise-security-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=011000DNUTRJ

eWEEK: DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge Ends with Mayhem
By Sean Michael Kerner
http://www.eweek.com/security/darpa-cyber-grand-challenge-ends-with-mayhem.html

ExecutiveGov: DARPA Names Cyber Grand Challenge Winners
By Ramona Adams
http://www.executivegov.com/2016/08/darpa-names-cyber-grand-challenge-winners/

Fast Company: When Bots Attack: Behind The Scenes Of The World’s First All-Machine Hacking Contest
By Neal Ungerleider
http://www.fastcompany.com/3062594/behind-the-scenes-of-the-worlds-first-all-machine-hacking-tournament?partner=rss

Financial Times: Mayhem reigns in battle of the self-healing computers
By Hannah Kuchler
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/68b0e6c8-5ac7-11e6-9f70-badea1b336d4.html#axzz4GVLtqkgv

Firstpost: “Mayhem” wins DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge
By Staff
http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/mayhem-wins-darpas-cyber-grand-challenge-328524.html

Gizmodo: DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge is a Glimpse of Our Human-Free Future
By William Turton
http://gizmodo.com/darpas-cyber-grand-challenge-is-a-glimpse-of-our-human-1784881090

Gizmodo India: DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge is a Glimpse of Our Human-Free Future
By William Turton
http://www.gizmodo.in/news/DARPAs-Cyber-Grand-Challenge-Is-a-Glimpse-of-Our-Human-Free-Future/articleshow/53564244.cms

Homeland Preparedness News: Raytheon’s team of cyber experts face off against other top teams in DEF CON finals
By Alex Murtha
https://homelandprepnews.com/countermeasures/19419-raytheons-team-cyber-experts-face-off-top-teams-def-con-finals/

IEEE Spectrum: Autonomous Security Bots Seek and Destroy Software Bugs in DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge
By Amy Nordrum
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/security/autonomous-supercomputers-seek-and-destroy-software-bugs-in-darpa-cyber-grand-challenge

Information Week: ‘Mayhem’ System Wins DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge
By Kelly Sheridan
http://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/security-and-risk-strategy/mayhem-system-wins-darpas-cyber-grand-challenge/d/d-id/1326519

Inverse: This System Won A DARPA Contest by Hacking Its Rivals
By Mike Brown
https://www.inverse.com/article/19281-mayhem-won-a-darpa-contest-by-hacking-its-rivals-ahead-of-def-con

IT World: ‘Mayhem’ takes first in DARPA’s all-computer hacking challenge
By Sharon Gaudin
http://www.itworld.com/article/3104891/security/mayhem-takes-first-in-darpas-all-computer-hacking-challenge.html

IT World: Supercomputers give a glimpse of cybersecurity’s automated future
By Michael Kan
http://www.itworld.com/article/3104818/supercomputers-give-a-glimpse-of-cybersecuritys-automated-future.html

Lifehacker India: Forget Rio Olympics, DefCon Is Giving 2 Million USD For Hacking
By Suchayan Mandal
http://www.lifehacker.co.in/technology/Forget-Rio-Olympics-DefCon-Is-Giving2-Million-USD-For-Hacking/articleshow/53541929.cms

MustTech News: Supercomputers Are Expected To Be The Automated Future Of Cybersecurity
By Adity Bera
https://www.musttechnews.com/supercomputers-future-cybersecurity/

Network World: ‘Mayhem’ wins $2M first prize in DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge
By Tim Greene
http://www.networkworld.com/article/3104879/security/mayhem-wins-2m-first-prize-in-darpa-cyber-grand-challenge.html

The New York Times: Facebook Live Video
By Matthew Rosenberg
https://www.facebook.com/nytimes/videos/10150864919889999/

 Next Big Future: Automated detection and patching of software vulnerabilities demonstrated by DARPA cyber challenge winner
By Staff
http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/08/automated-detection-and-patching-of.html

PC Magazine: ‘Mayhem’ Computer Program Wins DARPA Hacking Challenge
By Tom Brant
http://www.pcmag.com/news/346813/mayhem-computer-program-wins-darpa-hacking-challenge

PC World: Supercomputers give a glimpse of cybersecurity’s automated future
By Michael Kan
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3104819/security/supercomputers-give-a-glimpse-of-cybersecuritys-automated-future.html

Popular Science: DARPA’S Cyber Grand Challenge Ends In Triumph
By Kelsey D. Atherton
http://www.popsci.com/machines-win-darpas-cyber-grand-challenge

PR Newswire: GrammaTech’s Team TECHx Places Second in DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge
By Mary Shelato
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grammatechs-team-techx-places-second-in-darpas-cyber-grand-challenge-300310026.html

Reuters: Geeks win millions for teaching computers to battle each other
By Jim Finkle
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-defcon-contest-idUSKCN10G095

The Register: Game over, security researchers -- DARPA’s AI bug hunters are coming for your jobs
By Iain Thomson
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/05/game_over_security_researchers_darpas_ai_bug_hunters_will_take_your_jobs/

SC Magazine: Bot Mayhem takes first place in DARPA Cyber Challenge
By Doug Olenick
http://www.scmagazine.com/bot-mayhem-takes-first-place-in-darpa-cyber-challenge/article/514500/

 Sci-Tech Today: ‘Mayhem’ Takes $2 Million First Prize in DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge
By Dan Heilman
http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/-Mayhem--Wins-DARPA-Challenge/story.xhtml?story_id=0110015BBL7Z

TechCrunch: Carnegie Mellon’s Mayhem AI takes home $2 million from DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge
By Devin Coldewey
https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/05/carnegie-mellons-mayhem-ai-takes-home-2-million-from-darpas-cyber-grand-challenge/

Top Tech News: ‘Mayhem’ Takes $2 Million First Prize in DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge
By Dan Heilman
http://www.toptechnews.com/article/index.php?story_id=011001C86S33

The Verge: Carnegie Mellon team wins AI security battle royale
By Russell Brandom
http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/5/12388066/cmu-darpa-cyber-grand-challenge-winner-ai-hacking

United Press International: ‘Mayhem’ system wins DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge
By Geoff Ziezulewicz
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2016/08/05/Mayhem-system-wins-DARPAs-Cyber-Grand-Challenge/9781470414342/

Wired: Hackers Don’t Have To Be Human Anymore. This Bot Battle Proves It
By Cade Metz
http://www.wired.com/2016/08/security-bots-show-hacking-isnt-just-humans/

Xinhua News Agency: Feature: In first all-machine hacking tournament, computers battle to make world safer
By Guo Shuang and Huang Heng
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-08/05/c_135567414.htm

 

Thursday, 8/4

AZoRobotics: Raytheon’s Deep Red Team to Compete in DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge Finals
By Staff
http://www.azorobotics.com/News.aspx?newsID=8696

 Computer World: In DARPA challenge, smart machines compete to fend off cyberattacks
By Sharon Gaudin
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3104593/security/in-darpa-challenge-smart-machines-compete-to-fend-off-cyberattacks.html

Electronic Frontier Foundation: Does DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge Need A Safety Protocol?
By Nate Cardozo, Peter Eckersley and Jeremy Gillula
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/08/darpa-cgc-safety-protocol

 Homeland Security Today: Raytheon Team Competing in DARPA Cyber Competition Finals
By Staff
http://www.hstoday.us/index.php?id=95&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=42669&cHash=8ac9c2b1d316152311ef62193bf8c8af

MIT Technology Review: Pentagon Bot Battle Shows How Computers Can Fix Their Own Flaws
By Tom Simonite
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602071/pentagon-bot-battle-shows-how-computers-can-fix-their-own-flaws/

Scientific American: Robot Hackers Could Be the Future of Cybersecurity
By Larry Greenemeier
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/robot-hackers-could-be-the-future-of-cybersecurity/

The Next Web: Watch AI hack into AI at DARPA’s Cyber Grand Challenge
By Cecil Kleine
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2016/08/04/watch-ai-hack-darpa-cyber/

Yahoo! Finance: These grad students want to make history by crushing the world’s hackers
By Daniel Howley
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cyber-grand-challenge-darpa-team-000000358.html

 

 Tuesday, 8/2

 

The Verge: Seven automated hacking systems will compete for a $2 million prize on Thursday
By Russell Brandom
http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/2/12358322/darpa-cyber-grand-challenge-ai-hacking-defcon

 

Monday, 8/1

 

The Christian Science Monitor: High-stakes DARPA hacking contest pits computer against computer
By Jack Detsch
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Passcode/Security-culture/2016/0801/High-stakes-DARPA-hacking-contest-pits-computer-against-computer