Andrés Blanco, prominent Argentine cybersecurity researcher, dies at 44

Andrés Blanco, a prominent Argentine cybersecurity researcher and specialist in Wi-Fi network security, has passed away at the age of 44. Known in the digital community by the handle ‘6e726d’, Blanco was a significant figure within the hacker communities of Argentina and Latin America.

Blanco specialized in investigating vulnerabilities in components used by mobile phones, computers, and other communication devices. His work focused on everything from internal chip software to communication protocols, aiming to identify flaws and develop collaborative tools to strengthen system defenses. He frequently shared his findings at major international conferences, including Black Hat and DEF CON in Las Vegas.

In Latin America, he was a regular participant in Ekoparty, where he presented research and designed Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges to help other specialists learn to detect vulnerabilities. Much of his career was developed at Core Security, a company noted for bringing Argentine information security research to the global stage. Colleagues and peers have described him as a generous mentor and a committed member of the community.