from CNET News.com

Macaulay, a software engineer, was able to hack into a MacBook through a zero-day security hole in Apple’s Safari browser. The computer was one of two offered as a prize in the “PWN to Own” hack-a-Mac contest at the CanSecWest conference here.

The successful attack on the second and final day of the contest required a conference organizer to surf to a malicious Web site using Safari on the MacBook–a type of attack familiar to Windows users. CanSecWest organizers relaxed the rules Friday after nobody at the event had breached either of the Macs on the previous day.

Macaulay teamed with Dino Dai Zovi, a security researcher until recently with Matasano Security. Dai Zovi, who has previously been credited by Apple for finding flaws in Mac software, found the Safari vulnerability and wrote the exploit overnight in about 9 hours, he said.