A security researcher has criticized Apple's macOS bug bounty program for significantly lowering payouts for certain vulnerabilities. Despite increasing rewards for high-profile exploits, many macOS categories now offer much smaller financial incentives, which could discourage researchers from reporting flaws.

Apple has expanded its bug bounty program by doubling the maximum reward to $2 million for reporting zero-click remote compromise vulnerabilities, with potential payouts exceeding $5 million through bonuses. The program, which has awarded $35 million since its inception in 2020, also introduces new categories and increased rewards for various types of attacks, aiming to incentivize security researchers to report critical vulnerabilities. Additionally, Apple plans to distribute secured iPhone 17 devices to civil society organizations at risk of spyware attacks in 2026.