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Google recently released its open-source based phones Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL. These two smartphones dubbed as "new iPhone rival" was reportedly hacked by a Chinese team in just 60 seconds.

Google's first in-house built phone Google Pixel was hacked at the PwnFest by a Chinese hacking group Keen Team of Tencent, a rival of Qihoo 360.

Hackig event at Seoul

On November 11, 2016, at a hacking competition in Seoul, Qihoo 360, a team of white-hat hackers, pwned Google's first ever home-built smartphone Google Pixel, and won $120,000 in cash prize. The hackers took benefit from vulnerability to gain remote code execution that is undisclosed. The hack was launched at the Google Play Store before opening Chrome and by displaying a web page that read "Pwned By 360 Alpha Team", says reports from Register.

Pwn2Own in Japan

However, this is not for the first time the Google Pixel phones have been hacked. At a hacking event called Pwn2Own in Japan, a Chinese hacking group, discovered a zero-day vulnerability at the smartphone which is yet to be addressed.

Google reported that the Chrome bug discovered by the Keen team had been patched within 24 hours of the event and updates have been released. It is thankful that such vulnerabilities are found in hacking events rather than by real-time attacks.

The Qihoo 360 team demonstrated the possibilities of compromising all the features of the Google Pixel smartphone including contacts, photos, messages and phone calls at the hacking event.

Other notable Hacks

The hackers have also found vulnerabilities in Apple's updated Safari browser running on MacOS Sierra in just 20 seconds, Adobe Flash in just four seconds and Microsoft's Edge browser.

While these exploits suggest Pixel phones are vulnerable to attackers, earlier this month Adrian Ludwig, explained that "In the long term, the open ecosystem of Android is going to put it in a much better place."