Exploit broker Zerodium ups the ante with $500k to target Signal and WhatsApp

Re:Exploit broker Zerodium ups the ante with $500k to target... by qeternity on Thursday August 24, 2017 @09:11AM (#15089768)

You are confusing two things. Buying/selling "insider info" (i.e. material non public info) is not illegal. Acting on such info CAN be illegal under certain circumstances, but even that is super difficult to prove. Why would buying/selling 0days be any different? It's the usage that determines legality. Why should buying an exploit to permit jailbreaking be illegal? Or to permit unlocking a device (presuming local laws allow).

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Re:Exploit broker Zerodium ups the ante with $500k to target... by fauigerzigerk on Thursday August 24, 2017 @09:33AM (#15089930)

>Buying/selling "insider info" (i.e. material non public info) is not illegal.

I doubt that. If I had non-public information that could materially impact the price of a company's stock, I would not expect to get away with selling that information to anonymous buyers via some shady broker.

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Re:Exploit broker Zerodium ups the ante with $500k to target... by bobcostas55 on Thursday August 24, 2017 @10:27AM (#15090354)

If you're not an insider yourself there's nothing illegal about it.

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Re:Exploit broker Zerodium ups the ante with $500k to target... by qeternity on Friday August 25, 2017 @04:53AM (#15097080)

You should look at some of the recent failed insider trading prosecutions. If you sell the info and expect someone to trade on it, and thus you are benefiting from ill-gotten gains, then they MIGHT be able to prove conspiracy. My point is that if you have MNPI and I pay you for it, and that's the end of it, well that's not illegal. It may be a civil violation due to NDA or something, but that's different.

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Re:Exploit broker Zerodium ups the ante with $500k to target... by fauigerzigerk on Friday August 25, 2017 @05:35AM (#15097207)

I can imagine that what you're saying is true if there was no danger to the public.

But if someone were to trade on the knowledge that a supplier had delivered faulty airbags to an auto manufacturer without telling that manufacturer, I doubt this would be looked at kindly by the courts.

But I agree that the metaphor is not ideal. Selling 0day exploits to that broker is much worse. Any seller would have to have a reasonable expectation of aiding organised crime or terrorism.

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Re:Exploit broker Zerodium ups the ante with $500k to target... by weddpros on Thursday August 24, 2017 @09:36AM (#15089959)

Do you believe a company buying and selling insider info would be allowed?

It's an amazing business idea!

- people with insider info can use that info to get rich but without insider trading

- targets of insider info can be coerced into buying the data to prevent selling to third parties

- and of course we can trust the broker to never sell the data to third parties

I'm being a bit sarcastic of course.

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