TL;DR

Apple pays hackers up to $1 M for critical vulnerabilities, but you’ll need more than a shiny iPhone to cash in. Think of it as a treasure hunt where the map is a set of strict rules, the treasure is cash (and bragging rights), and the monsters are legal repercussions if you step out of line.

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1️⃣ What Is a Bug Bounty Anyway?

Term	Plain‑English Definition
Bug	A flaw in software/hardware that lets someone do something unintended (e.g., read your private photos).
Bounty	Money (or swag) awarded for responsibly reporting that bug.
Program	Apple’s official invitation to “ethical hackers” to find bugs and hand them over the right way.

Pro tip: Only report bugs responsibly (i.e., follow Apple’s guidelines). Otherwise you might end up on the wrong side of a cease‑and‑desist letter.