Why Microsoft Is Thankful for a 5-Year-Old Xbox Fan A little boy discovered a major security loophole in the product, something people 10 times his age didn't notice.
By Nina Zipkin
Sometimes you can find solutions to problems in the unlikeliest of places.
At least that's what Microsoft learned after being alerted to a security flaw in their Xbox system thanks to a discerning San Diego customer named Kristoffer Von Hassel. The catch? The video-game enthusiast and accidental hacker happens to 5 years old.
The little boy figured out he could hack into his father's Xbox Live account by typing in a wrong password, getting directed to the verification page, pressing the space bar multiple times and then hitting enter.
Kristoffer's dad Robert Davies, who works in computer security, couldn't have been prouder, telling KGTV News, "Just being 5 years old and being able to find vulnerability and latch onto that. I thought that was pretty cool."
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As for Kristoffer's reaction? "I was like, yeah!"
Although initially excited, he was worried that he might get in trouble. But that was hardly the case once his Dad let Microsoft know about the issue. And who knows? Given Kristoffer's affinity for technology, the company could very well be looking at a member of their 2027 intern class.
But until then, not only did Microsoft fix the bug -- noting in a statement, "We're always listening to our customers and thank them for bringing issues to our attention" -- but they included Kristoffer on their list of security researchers, gave him $50, four free games and a year's subscription to Xbox Live.
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