Ben Hawkes Explained

Ben Hawkes is a computer security expert and white hat hacker from New Zealand, previously employed by Google as manager of their Project Zero.^{[1] [2]}

Hawkes has been credited with finding dozens of flaws in computer software, such as within Adobe Flash, Microsoft Office,^[3] Apple's iOS^[4] and the Linux kernel.^{[5] [6]} His role was acknowledged, for instance, in an Adobe 2015 security bulletin, which announced updates that addressed critical vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to take control of the affected system.^[7] In 2019, he reported two vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to tap iPhone microphones and spy on calls.^[8]

Before Hawkes became part of Project Zero, he was first part of the Google team tasked with the security of Google's product launches.^[9] Hawkes regularly publishes research on his works, particularly on vulnerability analysis and software exploitation such as novel heap exploitation techniques on Windows.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Meet 'Project Zero,' Google's Secret Team of Bug-Hunting Hackers. Greenberg. Andy. 15 July 2014. Wired.com. 4 January 2015.
2. Web site: Ben Hawkes . usenix.org . January 13, 2019.
3. Web site: It's 2015 and hackers can hijack your Windows PC if you watch a web video. Nichols. Shaun. 9 June 2015. The Register. 19 March 2017.
4. News: Jailbreak Exploit for iOS 10.1.1 to be Released Next Week. Bock. Ken. The Country Caller. 19 March 2017. en-US.
5. News: Canonical Patches Multiple Kernel Vulnerabilities in All Supported Ubuntu OSes. Nestor. Marius. softpedia. 19 March 2017. en-us.
6. News: Canonical Patches Multiple OpenSSH Vulnerabilities in Supported Ubuntu OSes. Nestor. Marius. softpedia. 19 March 2017. en-us.
7. Web site: Adobe Security Bulletin. helpx.adobe.com. 2019-03-06.
8. Web site: Apple Patched Two Actively Exploited Zero-Days in iOS 12.1.4. Gatlan. Sergiu. February 8, 2019. BleepingComputer. en-us. 2019-03-06.
9. Web site: Ben Hawkes USENIX. www.usenix.org. 2019-03-06.