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The Matrix Cup was a Chinese cybersecurity competition organized by 360 Digital Security Group and Beijing Huayunan Information Technology (VUL.AI). Its advertised total prize pool was 20 million yuan (about $2.75 million in 2024 reporting), including 18 million yuan (about $2.5 million) reserved for zero-day exploit challenges. The event is over: although a May 2024 report described it as upcoming and scheduled for June 26–28, a later retrospective places the inaugural contest in Qingdao during May–June 2024.
What was the Matrix Cup?
The Matrix Cup was an exploit-finding and cybersecurity competition in China. Its organizers were 360 Digital Security Group and Beijing Huayunan Information Technology, which operates as VUL.AI. SecurityWeek reported that the organizers described it as “the Eastern hemisphere’s top cybersecurity competition”; that was organizer wording, not a quotation attributed to a named individual.
Was $2.5 million the whole prize pool?
No. The approximately $2.5 million figure referred to the 18 million yuan advertised for zero-day exploit challenges, not the entire purse. SecurityWeek’s 2024 report, based on organizer materials, put the total at 20 million yuan, or about $2.75 million at the time.
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| Amount | What it represented | Reported approximate U.S. value |
|---|---|---|
| 20 million yuan | Total advertised prize pool | About $2.75 million in 2024 reporting |
| 18 million yuan | Allocation for zero-day exploit challenges | About $2.5 million in 2024 reporting |
These dollar figures are the contemporaneous approximations reported in 2024, not current currency conversions.
#1 Best Overall
- ENGAGING GAMEPLAY: Immerse in a world of secret roles like Investigator, Murderer, and Witness. Quick 20-minute rounds spark strategic challenges, demanding sharp deduction skills.
- VERSATILE PLAY: Designed for groups of 4 to 12, this board game adapts to intimate gatherings or lively parties. Its portable design and adaptable gameplay unite friends for dynamic, interactive experiences.
- QUICK & INTENSE ROUNDS: Enjoy brisk 20-minute sessions that deliver constant suspense and rapid-fire challenges.
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- ACCESSIBLE & FUN: Featuring simple rules and a compact design, this game suits beginners and veterans alike. Dive into mystery with ease and enjoy an immersive social deduction experience each play.
What could participants target?
The announced targets covered a broad range of software and connected products, rather than a single platform or device type:
- Operating systems and smartphones
- Enterprise and networking products
- Network-attached storage (NAS) and security products
- Databases, browsers and office software
- Virtualization platforms
- An HP multifunction printer
- Hadoop
How were the challenges organized?
A later Atlantic Council retrospective describes five formats:
Rank #2
- Action-packed social deduction game
- No player elimination until a second, shorter phase
- 3 factions: Crew, Agents, & Rivals
- Three vulnerability-mining challenges
- An attack-defense capture-the-flag (CTF) challenge
- An artificial-intelligence challenge
The three vulnerability-mining challenges were separate formats within the overall program; the retrospective also counts the CTF and AI challenge, making five in all.
Did the Matrix Cup already happen?
Yes. The “upcoming” wording came from SecurityWeek’s May 13, 2024 report, which said the competition was scheduled for June 26–28, 2024. A later Atlantic Council account says the inaugural Matrix Cup was held in Qingdao, Shandong, during May–June 2024. Those accounts give different levels of date specificity, so the retrospective supports that the inaugural event took place in that period, but the available descriptions do not reconcile its exact dates with the originally reported schedule.
Rank #3
- Udderly hilarious board game for family and friends game nights. Fun for big groups of 4-20+ players
- Easy to learn, quick to play and endlessly repayable board game. This version comes with 20 extra questions
- Think the same to win the game. Flip over a question and guess what your family and friends are thinking
- If your answer is in the majority, you win cows. If you’re the odd one out, you’re stuck with the pink cow of doom
- One of the best board games for families, adults, teens and kids aged 10+. Perfect icebreaker game. Easy and fun for everyone! Perfect as a Thanksgiving or Christmas game
What was reported after the competition?
A later 360 Digital Security write-up reportedly described around one hundred vulnerabilities. The Atlantic Council retrospective highlights findings involving virtualization and mobile operating systems. That reported total indicates the scale of findings claimed in the write-up; it is not a complete, independently verifiable accounting of every vulnerability or its eventual status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about vulnerability disclosure?
Public accounts do not establish a complete, independently verifiable vendor-disclosure record for every Matrix Cup finding. They therefore do not support a claim that every vulnerability was promptly disclosed to its vendor. The reported vulnerability count and notable categories are available, but the public record described here does not show the disclosure timing and outcome for each one.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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- Engaging Space Station Games: Dive into the depths of the space station with our board games for 2-8 players. The No Escape Board Game offers a captivating escape board game experience with strategic gameplay and endless fun
- Party Board Game Night: Bring excitement to your next party board game night! With quick setup and easy-to-learn rules, this escape board game is suitable for kids' birthdays, teen hangouts, or adult gatherings
- Action-Packed Maze Escape: Combine strategy with luck and navigate through the maze escape. A premium experience that includes high quality piece of dice, meeples, and tiles
Rank #4
- THE ADULT VERSION OF CLUE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR: Lie to your friends, get away with murder! The Clue Conspiracy game is a secret role strategy game of shifting suspicions—with a party vibe! Ages 14+. For 4-10 players
- AN ISLAND SETTING, A NEW VICTIM: You're invited to the tropical Black Adder Resort, where a guest (maybe even you!) is trying to murder its manager, Mr. Coral. Deadly traps are spread throughout the resort grounds—and someone is armed
- PLAY ON SECRET TEAMS: Players play as Clue characters and take on secret roles on opposing teams: Friends vs. the Conspiracy. Friends try to keep Mr. Coral alive, while Conspiracy members secretly try to set up his murder
- WHO CAN YOU TRUST?: Lie, bluff, sabotage! In this mystery game, it's all about mind games as players conspire, gather clues, share info (or not), and call each other out to stop the other side
- MULTIPLE WAYS TO WIN: The Conspiracy wins by pulling off the murder Plot at a specific location or secretly sabotaging and setting off traps. The Friends win by disarming all the traps, or if that fails, solving the WHO, WHERE, and WHAT of the secret Plot
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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