Apple Offers $2 Million Bounty for Zero-Click Exploits
▼ Summary
– Apple is increasing bug bounty rewards, with zero-click exploit chains now eligible for up to $2 million and bonuses potentially exceeding $5 million.
– Maximum rewards apply only to vulnerabilities in Apple’s latest publicly available software and hardware with advanced security protections.
– The program now offers higher payouts for specific attack vectors, including up to $1 million for unauthorized iCloud access and wireless proximity exploits.
– Researchers can earn smaller rewards for individual exploit chain components and low-impact issues outside main categories, starting at $1,000.
– These updates will take effect in November 2025, with full details to be published on Apple’s Security Research site.
Apple is significantly increasing the financial incentives within its security bounty program, now offering up to $2 million for zero-click exploit chains that compromise its systems without any user interaction. This substantial reward underscores the company’s commitment to identifying and neutralizing the most sophisticated digital threats. A bonus structure tied to bypassing Lockdown Mode or discovering flaws in beta software could potentially push total payouts beyond $5 million. These top-tier rewards are reserved exclusively for vulnerabilities found in Apple’s most recent publicly available software and hardware, which already incorporate its strongest security protections.
The program has been designed to attract a wide range of security researchers. Since its inception, Apple has rolled out powerful defensive tools like Lockdown Mode, enhanced the security architecture of the Safari browser, and implemented Memory Integrity Enforcement. These measures have made system-level attacks on iOS far more challenging and expensive to develop. However, Apple recognizes that the private spyware industry and other advanced threat actors are constantly refining their methods, making proactive defense essential. The company also acknowledges that uncovering novel attack methods requires immense effort and time, justifying the need for commensurate compensation.
Maximum payouts for several critical exploit categories have doubled or even quadrupled. Notable rewards now include a complete Gatekeeper bypass that requires no user interaction: $100,000.
The final bounty is set according to the demonstrated impact of a vulnerability. Apple will also pay separate, smaller rewards for individual components of an exploit chain when those components are shown to be practically useful. To help researchers demonstrate exploitability, the company is introducing Target Flags, a system that lets experts clearly indicate how a specific flaw can be leveraged in practice.
Apple is adding an entry point for newcomers to bug hunting: lower-impact issues that don’t fit the main categories will receive a standard reward of $1,000.
These updates to the Apple Security Bounty program take effect in November 2025, when Apple will publish the full list of expanded categories, reward amounts, bonus rules, instructions for using Target Flags, and revised program guidelines on the Apple Security Research site.
(Source: HelpNet Security)
