Apple has given its Security Bounty program a momentous twist, introducing the biggest overhaul since its public launch in 2020. The main innovation is a dramatic increase in rewards: the company now offers up to 2 million dollars for the discovery of complex exploit chains, with a specific focus on attacks attributable to mercenary spyware. With the addition of new bonuses, the total compensation for a single vulnerability report can exceed $5 million, positioning Apple’s program as the highest-paying in the industry.
From Single Vulnerabilities to Exploit Chains: Apple’s New Security Strategy
The most strategic change in the Apple Security Bounty program is the shift in focus. If previously isolated bugs were also rewarded, now the company favors reporting the full attack chain – which includes:
- Remote Code Execution
- Sandbox escape
- Privilege escalation
This new direction is not accidental – it reflects the nature of modern cyberattacks, which are rarely based on a single flaw, but are rather an orchestrated sequence of vulnerabilities. The goal is clear: to prod security researchers to think like attackers by reconstructing the entire path of an end-to-end attack.
Target Flags: Faster Payments for Security Researchers
To make the process more efficient and attractive to ethical hackers, Apple introduces Target Flags. Inspired by “Capture The Flag” (CTF) competitions, these digital “flags” function as an objective certification of the level of access achieved through an exploit.
The benefits for researchers are enormous:
- Immediate Bounty Confirmation: Once the flag is validated by Apple, the reward is confirmed, without having to wait for the release of the corrective patch.
- Quick Payments: The compensation is paid in the next payment cycle, eliminating the long waits (often months) of the old system.
This innovation reduces bureaucracy and offers greater economic certainty to teams that practice responsible disclosure.
Details on New Rewards: Figures and Key Objectives
The new rewards scheme of the Apple Security Bounty program highlights the areas considered most critical for ecosystem security. Among the main echelons, the following stand out:
- Up to $300,000 for a one-click exploit on WebKit with sandbox escape, proving that browser security remains a top priority.
- Up to $1 million for zero-click wireless proximity exploits, targeting radios like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a highly coveted attack vector.
- $100,000 for a full Gatekeeper bypass on macOS, underlining the importance of security on desktop too.
There are also specific bonuses for those who manage to bypass Lockdown Mode or discover critical vulnerabilities in the beta versions of the software. Since 2020, Apple has already distributed over $35 million to more than 800 researchers, and with these new rules, the figure is expected to grow exponentially.
source: IphoneItalia
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