Apple will pay security researchers up to $1 million to hack its private AI cloud

Apple is set to launch its Private Cloud Compute service next week and has announced a significant bug bounty program aimed at enhancing the security of this new platform. The company is offering up to $1 million to security researchers who can identify vulnerabilities that might allow malicious code to be executed on its private AI cloud servers. This initiative underscores Apple’s commitment to maintaining robust security measures for its customers.

In its security blog, Apple specified that the bounty for reporting exploits capable of remotely executing code is the highest at $1 million. Additionally, researchers can earn up to $250,000 for disclosing vulnerabilities that could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive user information, including prompts submitted to its private cloud. This dual-tiered reward system emphasizes the types of threats Apple considers most critical and the associated values for addressing them.

Further expanding on its bounty structure, Apple indicated that it would evaluate any security issue significantly impacting user data, even those not fitting into the published categories. For vulnerabilities that could compromise sensitive user information from a privileged network position, the company has allocated bounties of up to $150,000. This flexible approach aims to motivate researchers to explore a broader range of security issues.

This program represents a strategic extension of Apple’s existing bug bounty framework, which has been in place to incentivize the reporting of flaws and vulnerabilities that pose risks to user accounts and devices. Over recent years, Apple has made substantial improvements to the security of its products, including the introduction of a researcher-only iPhone designed specifically for testing by hacking professionals.

By enhancing its bug bounty offerings, Apple aims to bolster the security posture of its Private Cloud Compute service, which is integrated with its Apple Intelligence on-device AI model. This new cloud service is designed to handle more demanding AI tasks while ensuring that customer privacy is preserved, reflecting Apple’s broader commitment to user security.

Apple has also shared details about the underlying security architecture of the Private Cloud Compute service, including source code and documentation, to aid researchers in understanding potential vulnerabilities. This openness is part of Apple’s strategy to foster a collaborative environment with the security research community.

Overall, the launch of Private Cloud Compute combined with the aggressive bug bounty program illustrates Apple’s proactive approach to safeguarding its cloud infrastructure against potential threats, while further reinforcing its dedication to user privacy and data security.