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Researchers earned $129,500 across four Tesla Wall Connector exploit attempts on day two of Pwn2Own Automotive 2025 in Tokyo. The headline figure of $129,000 is rounded. The demonstrations targeted the charger—not a Tesla vehicle’s driving systems—and the disclosed vulnerabilities had different access requirements: one was network-adjacent, while another required physical presence.
How the $129,500 Tesla charger payout broke down
The four attempts did not all earn the same amount or represent previously unknown vulnerabilities. Pwn2Own awards can reflect collision results: a researcher may demonstrate a vulnerability that another participant had already reported, reducing the award.
| Researcher or team | Result and bug status | Award |
|---|---|---|
| PHP Hooligans | Used a numeric range comparison without a minimum check to take over and crash the Wall Connector; ZDI described it as a successful takeover. | $50,000 |
| Synacktiv | Used a logic bug in an exploit chain through the charging connector. | $45,000 |
| PCAutomotive | Collision result using a previously known bug. | $22,500 |
| Sina Kheirkhah | Collision result; both bugs in the exploit chain were already known. | $12,500 |
The awards total $129,500, according to the ZDI day-two results and SecurityWeek’s January 23, 2025 report. Across the full three-day Pwn2Own Automotive 2025 competition, researchers earned $886,250 for 49 zero-days, ZDI reported in its final results.
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The awards describe contest demonstrations; the later ZDI advisories provide details about two vulnerabilities and their attack prerequisites. The disclosed paths were not interchangeable: one involved network-adjacent access, while the other required physical presence.
#1 Best Overall
- Dual Voltage Level 1 & 2: Charge at 120V/12A (1.44kW, 2-5 miles/hr) with the included NEMA 5-15 adapter or at 240V/16A (3.84kW, 9-12 miles/hr) with the NEMA 6-20 plug. One SEGUMA portable tesla charger gives you two charging options for everyday home charging, backup charging, and travel
- EV Charger for Tesla Vehicle-Seguma 16A mobile ev charger for tesla is specifically designed for Tesla vehicles, engineered with standardized North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector, works flawlessly with Tesla Model-Y/X/3/S/Cybe truck
- Wireless Charging Door Control-The portable mobile car charger for tesla has a button on the connector that wirelessly opens the charging port door, eliminating the need for physical keys or buttons and making charging more convenient
- Intelligent Charging-The Seguma level 1 charger offers protection against leaks, grounding, voltage issues, overcharging, and overheating. It automatically shuts off when your Tesla is fully charged. Tip: Install a home circuit breaker for extra safety
- Extended 25FT Cable-The 25-foot cable allows easy tesla charging at home or public stations. The included portable storage bag lets you take the tesla home charger anywhere, making it ideal for travel, road trips, or visits. Perfect accessory for Model Y
Network-adjacent flaw: CVE-2025-8320
ZDI advisory ZDI-25-711 assigns CVE-2025-8320 a CVSS score of 8.8. It describes improper validation when parsing an HTTP Content-Length value. An unauthenticated attacker with network-adjacent access could cause memory access beyond an allocated buffer, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution in the device context. ZDI credits PHP Hooligans.
Physical-access flaw: CVE-2025-8321
ZDI advisory ZDI-25-712 assigns CVE-2025-8321 a CVSS score of 6.8. The firmware-upgrade feature lacks an anti-downgrade mechanism, creating an attack path for someone physically present. ZDI says the issue can be combined with other vulnerabilities for code execution and credits Synacktiv.
Rank #2
- COMPATIBLE WITH TESLA MODEL 3/MODEL Y/MODEL X/MODEL S CHARGER: Seven Sparta Charging Cable holder is a perfect holder to hang your charging cable from in the garage.
- KEEP YOUR CHARGING CABLE NEATLY AND SECURE: The cable organizer is much better than a normal hook. It does a good job of keeping the cable off of the ground, and protect your cable from falling down accidentally.
- SAFE ABS MATERIAL: The charger cable organizer is made from high quality ABS plastic, pass fireproofing grade testing. The bearing capacity can reach above 30KG at least. Prior to purchasing, we recommend confirming the product's size and material.
- EASY & SECURE INSTALLATION: The charging cable holder takes just minutes to install. The charger head fits snugly into the slot, with a notch to prevent it from sliding out.
These advisory details should not be collapsed into a claim that every Pwn2Own demonstration required the same access or produced the same result. ZDI’s contest report says PHP Hooligans took over and crashed the charger, and that Synacktiv exploited it through the charging connector; the advisories explain the specific flaws and risk conditions that ZDI publicly documented.
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Which firmware fixes the disclosed flaws?
Both ZDI advisories list Tesla Wall Connector firmware 24.44.3 as the fix. Check the charger’s installed firmware and Tesla’s current guidance for your region and device before deciding whether it needs an update. The advisory version is the documented fix for these two vulnerabilities; it is not a general guarantee that every security issue is resolved.
Rank #3
- UP TO 9X FASTER CHARGING SPEED: The IYILO electric vehicle charging station delivers up to 46 miles of range per hour at 48A (11.5kW) via hardwired installation (60A breaker & licensed electrician required). Current is adjustable in 1A increments from 6A to 48A. Charges up to 9 times faster than a standard Level 1 charger
- AUTOMATIC CONNECTOR OVERHEAT PROTECTION: Worried about overheating during daily charging? The IYILO Level 2 EV Charger features an advanced NTC temperature sensor built directly into the NACS (Tesla-style) connector, enabling real-time temperature monitoring with live data displayed in the app. If the connector temperature exceeds 221°F (105°C), the system will automatically reduce charging power or completely shut off charging to prevent damage to your EV and ensure safe home charging.
- UTILITY CHARGING PROGRAM SUPPORT: IYILO is currently joining local utility EV charging programs and has been listed on several official portals, including but not limited to ComEd, PSEG (NJ), PSEG-LI, Seattle City Light, Salt River Project, Portland General Electric, Oregon DOT, and Georgia Power ect. Through these programs, you can take advantage of local policy support and incentives. Moving forward, we will continue expanding our partnerships with major utilities and public agencies.
- INTELLIGENT APP & SMART CHARGING CONTROL: The IYILO App features a smart, intuitive interface to set Time-of-Use (TOU) rates, track energy usage and cost, and manage multiple user accounts. It supports multiple charging modes, such as Scheduled charging and RFID card, while also offering OTA remote upgrades, ensuring optimal performance and longer lifespan. Note: Supports 2.4GHz WiFi only; 5GHz not supported
- COMPATIBLE WITH ALL NACS (J3400) EVS & PHEVS: The IYILO Level 2 EV Charger is designed with a native NACS connector and a 25ft heavy-duty charging cable, delivering seamless compatibility with all NACS-equipped electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles across North America. Engineered for Tesla-style charging standards, it ensures reliable daily home charging performance. Note: For J1772-equipped EVs, a compatible J1772 adapter is required (adapter not included)
Was a Tesla car compromised?
The reported target was the Tesla Wall Connector, an electric-vehicle charger. The cited contest report and vulnerability advisories describe attacks against the charger and do not establish that researchers accessed a vehicle’s driving systems. They also do not establish consumer incident counts or exploitation of these vulnerabilities in the wild.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the Wall Connector has several possible attack surfaces
Before the contest, ZDI outlined potential avenues on the Wall Connector: a configuration Wi-Fi access point with an SSID beginning TeslaWallConnector, a web management interface, TCP ports 80 and 34578, and software-update communications. ZDI presented these as likely attack avenues, not an exhaustive list or proof that each was used in a Pwn2Own demonstration. Its pre-contest overview is available in ZDI’s Pwn2Own Automotive 2025 preview.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- COMPATIBILITY: Wall Connector is compatible with all Tesla models: Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y.
- CHARGING SPEED: Up to 44 miles of range per hour of charge, with up to 11.5 kW / 48 amp output, depending on Tesla model and breaker size.
- CONVENIENCE: Indoor or outdoor installation with variable amperage that allows max output to be customized to an existing power supply and supports any output up to 48A. Possible max output configurations include: 48A, 40A, 32A, 24A, 16A, 12A.
- CONNECTIVITY: Connecting the Wall Connector to a local Wi-Fi network enables over-the-air firmware updates for continual product improvements and remote access control.
- POWER-SHARE: Power-share is ideal for locations that need to charge more than one Tesla at the same time. This functionality allows up to six Wall Connectors to be linked for efficient power management.
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.
