Apple Gives $100,500 Reward To Student For Identifying Webcam Hack

Apple has awarded a US$100,500 bug bounty to a cybersecurity student who successfully demonstrated a vulnerability in Mac web cameras that exposes the devices to potential hackings.

Ryan Pickren, the student, said that the flaw had to do with issues concerning the brand’s iCloud and Safari features. Though the vulnerabilities have since been fixed, it had opened up the webcams to bad actors during that period.

According to Tech Times, Pickren explained that his discovery showed that malicious hackers could gain full access to a user’s web-based accounts, including internet banking information, PayPal, and iCloud. 

Furthermore, bad actors would be able to remotely use the camera, microphone, and screen-sharing services on the Mac, leaving users vulnerable to being watched or listened to without their knowledge, despite the small light alerts built into the system.

Interestingly, Pickren received US$500 more than the usual payout for iCloud-related exploits, as per iThinkDifferent. It’s believed that this was the largest amount paid out to anyone under the company’s bug bounty program. 

[via Tech Times and iThinkDifferent, cover image via VILTVART / Shutterstock.com]