United Awards Hacker 1 Million Frequent-Flyer Miles
When
United
offered a bounty of up to 1 million frequent-flyer miles for reports of software bugs on its website or mobile apps, skeptics suspected it was nothing more than a gimmick to show that the airline took online security seriously.
Not so, it turns out. Proof positive: United last week awarded the aforementioned mileage award, 1 million MileagePlus miles, to a Florida-based online security professional.
According to
Threatpost
, a website published by the Kapersky Lab security service, Jordan Wiens, founder of Vector 35, discovered a remote code-execution vulnerability on United's site, and brought it to the airline's attention under the bug-bounty program.
Apparently its was the real deal—a serious threat, in other words—and United awarded Wiens the full 1 million miles, the first mileage payout under the program.
Wiens figures the value of the miles at around $25,000, and is considering redeeming them for a first-class trip around the world or for 40 domestic trips.
Reader Reality Check
What would you do with 1 million frequent-flyer miles?
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