Kaspersky reported one of the iOS vulnerabilities found in Operation Triangulation. However, in a bizarre update, Apple reportedly refused to pay the security bounty.
Kaspersky uncovered iOS vulnerabilities in 'Operation Triangulation', reported to Apple, but was refused bounty payment
Apple's Security Bounty Program offers rewards up to $1 million for discovering vulnerabilities to prevent them from being sold on the dark web
Apple's refusal to pay Kaspersky could be due to restrictions on financial transactions with companies in sanctioned countries like Russia.
Apple Security Bounty awards may not be paid to you if you are in any U.S. embargoed countries or on the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of Specially Designated Nationals, the U.S. Department of Commerce Denied Person’s List or Entity List, or any other restricted party lists.
Kaspersky can whine all they want. Russia is embargoed. They're not getting their money.
Kaspersky is a good company doing good work in the cyber security space. Unfortunately, because of the embargo, they may have to turn to the black market to sell future exploits. Or maybe not; I'm not totally sure what kind of ethical standards they have.
Apple could have tried to work with them and said something like "We'll pay when the embargo ends", since now Kapersky has every reason to sell their next apple exploit on the black market.
They've just turned a department of people successfully working to make apple more secure into a department of people working to make it less secure.
How is holding the money until (and if) the sanctions are lifted, "circumventing"?
However unlikely it would be, if the sanctions are lifted (maybe Russia gets a new, sane Government, calls off its invasion, stops its international shenanigans), wouldn't it be OK to pay this company then?
Kaspersky also has a bunch of US-based subsidiaries or partners they're selling their software through. Or Apple could have just escrowed their reward until the embargo was over.