Root your iPhone is a practice strongly discouraged by Apple. However, the apple brand did not hesitate to send rooted iPhones to several security experts, so that they can analyze iOS without being hampered by the usual security systems.
Credits: Pixabay & MacRumors
In July 2020, Apple launches the “Apple Security Research Device Program ”, a brand new program dedicated to finding security vulnerabilities on iOS. As Google or Microsoft are already doing, the Apple brand invites computer security experts to analyze Apple devices and the operating system from all angles, in order to find exploitable vulnerabilities.
Of course, who says bug hunting says reward. The Cupertino company promises an envelope of 1.5 million dollars for the most deserving researchers. However, this new program is not open to everyone. Apple has carefully selected the participants and as our colleagues at the MacRumors site have learned, the experts will soon be able to start working.
Also read: iOS – a flaw would allow almost all iPhone models to jailbreak for life
Rooted iPhones to facilitate the work of experts
Indeed, Apple claims to have sent the first test smartphones to researchers. These iPhones are a bit special, since they are all rooted. So that the experts’ research is not hampered by the usual locking devices, Apple has chosen to disable them.
The Apple brand wants researchers to be able to install any tool on these iPhones to test the operating system. Participants also have access to complete documentation and a dedicated forum where they can interact directly with Apple engineers. These rooted iPhones will be loaned for one year, and must be returned to Apple after this deadline has passed. However, researchers wishing to continue their research may request an extension of the loan.
As a reminder, in 2019 Apple offered a million dollars to anyone who successfully hacked the iPhone. This bug-hunting program was open to everyone (a first for Apple), and participants were invited to hack the iOS kernel without the owner of the iPhone having to resort to any interaction.
Source: MacRumors
