Google LLC has launched a bug bounty program that will reward white hat hackers and other security professionals who detect vulnerabilities in Android applications.

Called the Google Play Security Reward Program, the program, run in conjunction with bug hunting bounty startup Hackerone Inc., will give rewards of $1,000 and more to those who identify vulnerabilities in Android apps, notably on top of any bounty payment offered directly by an app developer itself.

The process does have some rules. The hacker who identifies a vulnerability in an app must initially report it directly to the app’s developer and then work with the developer to resolve the vulnerability. Once the issue is resolved, the hacker then can request a reward from Google directly.

The program is not open to everyone, with “only developers who have expressed a commitment to fixing bugs which are disclosed to them” invited. Also, rewards will only be paid to the first person reporting a bug. If multiple vulnerabilities are found in a single app, only one reward from Google will be paid.

In addition, only certain types of vulnerabilities are applicable for reward payments. The bounty program is limited to remote-code-execution vulnerabilities and corresponding proof-of-concepts that work on devices using Android 4.4 and higher. Examples include vulnerabilities that would allow an attacker to gain full control of an Android device, manipulate a user interface to hijack a transaction or involve the opening of a web view that may lead to a phishing attack.

“The program will help us find security vulnerabilities and notify developers via security recommendations on how to fix them,” Vineet Buch, director of product management for Google Play, said in a blog post. “We hope to bring the success we have with our other reward programs, and we invite developers and the research community to work together with us on proactively improving Google Play ecosystem’s security.”

The Google Play bug bounty program cannot have come soon enough given the seemingly never-ending tales in the news of Android app malware and attacks. A study from F-Secure in February found that 99 percent of all mobile malware targets Android due to the “relatively open system for the distribution of apps.” The bug bounty will in no way solve Android’s security issues, but every little bit helps.

Image: Faruq Hossain/Wikimedia Commons