Yesterday, renowned security researcher Ian Beer tweeted that he wants Tim Cook to pay up $2.45 millions in unpaid bug bounties! According to the hacker, this is the amount he would have received had he participated in Apple’s bug bounty program.
Table of Contents
Apple needs to pay up… for charity
Ian Beer is one of the most well-known members of Google’s Project Zero.
For the uninitiated, Project Zero is tasked with identifying vulnerabilities in major operating systems and devices. Once the team detects a vulnerability, the affected manufacturer gets ninety days to patch the bug. Once the grace period gets over, the bug goes public.
Ian has a rather bizarre modus operandi. He is always in the thick of things yet maintains a low-profile and often stays on the sidelines.
But yesterday, the hacker decided to kick it up a notch and publicly posted a screenshot of the total worth of his iOS vulnerabilities.
Beer then asked Tim Cook to pay up $2.45 million to the London-based non-governmental organization Amnesty International.
Hi @tim_cook, I've been working for years to help make iOS more secure. Here's a list of all the bugs I reported which qualified for your bug bounty since its launch, could you invite me to the program so we can donate this money to @amnesty? pic.twitter.com/VUKj7BaJ4P
— Ian Beer (@i41nbeer) August 8, 2018
It is safe to assume that Ian receives top dollar for his iOS exploits.
In spite of that, he believes that Apple should pay for his work in accordance with the monetary rewards of Apple’s bug bounty program.
What Apple has to say about Ian Beer’s request
Apple is always active on the security scene and constantly credits hackers who report vulnerabilities.
The company also has its own bug bounty program aimed at patching undiscovered vulnerabilities. Under this program, hackers who detect bugs in Apple’s operating systems receive monetary compensation.
However, the company or its CEO did not react to Ian’s public announcement this time around. It’s also unlikely that Tim Cook will donate the said amount to a non-profit organization.
Beer, too, didn’t provide any concrete reason as to why he decided to publicly complain about Apple’s iOS security culture.
