Apple reopens applications for its Security Research Device Program
Apple is accepting applications through October 30, 2026 for its loaner iPhone program for iOS security researchers. Approved participants get a specially configured device with shell access, custom tools and entitlements, and the ability to customize the kernel; the loan lasts 12 months, is renewable, and the device must stay in a controlled research setting.
The Hacker News thread debated whether the program’s required vulnerability reporting gives Apple too much control and whether researchers should be able to unlock devices they own. One commenter cautioned that the published page requires prompt reporting but does not explicitly forbid later public disclosure; the policy separately directs researchers to report third-party bugs to the relevant third party. The program is limited and eligibility depends on research track record and location.