Apple Raises Cybersecurity Stakes with Record $5 Million Bug Bounty

Apple has just redrawn the lines of the cybersecurity world by making bug hunting more lucrative than ever. In a bold update to its Apple Security Bounty program, the company has dramatically increased the rewards for discovering vulnerabilities across iPhones, Macs, and other devices in its ecosystem – setting a new industry benchmark for security research incentives.

Beginning November 2025, Apple will roll out a revamped structure that doubles its top reward from $1 million to a staggering $2 million for exploit chains capable of mimicking the capabilities of advanced mercenary spyware.

These are the same kinds of stealthy, no-click attacks that have been used by state-sponsored actors to compromise targets without user interaction. However, Apple is going even further: under specific conditions, the total payout for certain discoveries can now exceed $5 million, making it the most rewarding bug bounty program in tech history.

Such massive sums aren’t arbitrary – they reflect how much Apple values preemptive security. Vulnerabilities in beta software, or bypasses within Lockdown Mode – a security mode designed to thwart the world’s most sophisticated cyberattacks – will now qualify for these record payouts. Even less critical attack vectors have seen a massive payout boost. For example, researchers who uncover one-click exploit chains will now earn up to $1 million, up from $250,000. Similarly, attacks that require physical proximity to a device will also fetch up to $1 million, while those requiring physical access to a locked device can reach $500,000. Even WebContent sandbox escapes, once capped at lower figures, can now bring researchers up to $300,000.

This change sends a strong message: Apple is not only serious about defending its ecosystem but is also actively encouraging the most skilled minds to test its boundaries. The company noted that the only iOS-level attacks seen in the wild recently have come from extremely advanced mercenary spyware – threats so costly to develop that they are usually deployed against high-profile individuals like journalists, diplomats, and activists. Apple’s enhanced bounty is part of a long-term effort to make such exploit development prohibitively expensive, even for well-funded adversaries.

According to Apple’s October 2025 statement, this evolution of the Security Bounty program is meant to drive deeper, high-level research into Apple’s most sensitive systems, helping protect more than 2.35 billion active devices worldwide. In parallel, the company’s Security Research Device (SRD) Program will expand to include the new iPhone 17 models – equipped with the cutting-edge Memory Integrity Enforcement technology. Qualified security researchers can apply until October 31, 2025, and any vulnerabilities found on these dedicated research devices will receive priority review and bonus rewards.

This expansion marks Apple’s clear recognition of how intertwined research collaboration and user safety have become. The tech giant’s willingness to open its walls, even partially, to independent experts shows an ongoing shift toward transparency and shared responsibility. Apple’s devices are widely considered among the most secure in the consumer electronics market, and these new initiatives only strengthen that perception.

But Apple’s motivation goes beyond image. As threats grow more sophisticated and distributed, incentivizing external researchers to detect vulnerabilities before they are exploited has become a strategic necessity. By offering unprecedented payouts, Apple effectively turns the entire cybersecurity community into an extension of its internal defense network.

Ultimately, this isn’t just a win for the researchers – it’s a win for every iPhone user. More rewards mean more research, and more research means stronger protection for billions of people. Apple’s message is clear: if you have the skill to uncover flaws in its systems, the company will not just listen – it will pay handsomely. The race for cybersecurity dominance just got a new front-runner, and it’s not a hacker – it’s Apple.

As Apple pushes this boundary, other tech giants may feel the pressure to follow suit, potentially sparking a new era where bug bounty programs become as competitive as the tech products themselves. The bottom line? Apple’s commitment to rewarding digital defenders sets a new gold standard for the entire industry.