The Zero-Day Vulnerability Market: Pricing, Participants, and Policy Implications

What Did This Cybersecurity Research Find?

This cybersecurity vulnerability economics study mapped the zero-day market ecosystem using publicly available pricing data, bug bounty records, and expert interviews. Cybersecurity zero-day exploit prices ranged from $25,000 for local privilege escalation to $2.5 million for full-chain mobile exploits in 2024, with prices increasing 40% year-over-year as defenders improved patching speed and reduced the window of exploitation.

Key Findings

• 1Zero-day prices ranged from $25,000 (local privesc) to $2.5 million (full-chain mobile) in 2024
• 2Prices increased approximately 40% year-over-year from 2021 to 2024
• 3Bug bounty payouts averaged 10-20% of estimated broker market prices for equivalent vulnerabilities
• 4iOS full-chain exploits commanded the highest prices due to Apple's security investments
• 5The average zero-day exploitation window shrank from 14 days (2019) to 5 days (2024)

How Does This Apply to Cybersecurity Careers?

Vulnerability researchers can understand the economics of their work across disclosure paths. Policy professionals can design regulations informed by actual market dynamics.

Who Should Read This?

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