Apple decided to open its bug-bounty program and allow participation from all security researchers. While the resolution is not effective immediately, the wait will be brief. Some hand-picked researchers will be given a new toy for a deeper inspection of iPhones security.
In its current form, the scope of Apple’s Security Bounty is limited to vulnerabilities in iOS and is open only to researchers approved by the Cupertino company.
The rewards have not changed since its launch in 2016, the largest one being $200,000 for demonstrating flaws in the secure boot firmware components.
Moving on with higher rewards
Starting this Fall, Apple plans to move its vulnerability reward program to a new stage that allows wider engagement from the infosec community.
On stage at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, Apple’s head of security engineering and architecture announced on Thursday significant changed for this new phase of the program.
First of all, Apple’s Security Bounty comes with a wider set of targets that include macOS and watchOS, Ivan Krstić announced.
Higher rewards will also become available. The largest will be of $1 million, for proving attacks over the network that do not require user interaction (zero-click kernel code execution with persistence).
Apple will pay $500,000 for the same type of stealthy attack that can obtain access to high-value user data.
Lower rewards, between $100,000 and $250,000, are for exploiting vulnerabilities that require physical access to the device or user interaction.
An iPhone like no other
Another novelty for hackers looking for bugs in iOS is a platform specifically conceived for research purposes. It is an iPhone stripped of many of the security layers found in a consumer piece that provides SSH access, root shell by default, and advanced debug capabilities.
Apple will maintain its “invite-only” policy for access to these devices, offering them as part of the company’s new “iOS Security Research Device” program to exceptional researchers.
This special type iPhones are known as “dev-fused” and have existed for years. They are typically used internally to assess the security of sensitive internal components, such as the Secure Enclave Process responsible for encrypting data on the iPhone.
However, some of them are smuggled out of the factory and land in the hands of vulnerability researchers. They were thus able to study the internals of the device and come up with zero-days that would also reach the grey market.
Apple will start distributing next year an approved variant of these weaker iPhones to select researchers, Krstić said at Black Hat. Below is a summary of the main changes in Apple’s Security Bounty program.
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