Windows is easily compromised

Hoping to close the gap between the few bugs found and the myriad still out there, an online auction house has been developed to incentivize the discovery of software holes, reports the BBC.

Research is sold to the highest bidder, which ideally consist of software companies intending to do something about the bugs. By rewarding researchers, auction house WabiSabiLabi hopes to close windows of opportunity for hackers.

When a vulnerability is reported, WabiSabiLabi will confirm the veracity of the claim and place it on the auction site. The company promised to ensure all purchasers are "legitimate."

Vulnerabilities on WabiSabiLabi are currently selling for between 500 and 2,000 euros.

In the hacker world, there is already a known market for software vulnerabilities. Significant sums of money have been made for sales of loophole knowledge. In 2006, for example, Russian hackers were discovered selling the Windows WMF vulnerability for $4,000. It took weeks for the loophole to be widely discovered, and longer still for Microsoft to patch it.

The Windows WMF black market was unearthed by anti-virus firm Kaspersky Labs.