Charlie Miller

Charlie Miller
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Name	Charlie Miller
Birth date	1976
Birth place	Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Occupation	Computer security researcher, author
Known for	iPhone security research, automotive cybersecurity

Charlie Miller is an American computer security researcher and author known for pioneering work in mobile device and automotive security. He gained prominence for demonstrating vulnerabilities in the iPhone and in modern automotive systems, collaborating with industry and government organizations. Miller's research has influenced security practices at major technology companies and informed public policy discussions on software safety and cyber-physical systems.

Early life and education

Born in Iowa City, Iowa, Miller completed undergraduate studies at University of Iowa before earning a master's degree in computer science from North Carolina State University. During his academic training he focused on systems and software, interacting with faculty and research groups involved with network security, operating system design, and embedded systems.

Career

Miller began his professional career at National Security Agency contractor environments and later joined Independent Security Evaluators and other private security firms. He was employed by DHS-related projects and worked with researchers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of California, Berkeley on responsible disclosure processes. Miller worked at Twitter's security team for a period and later joined Criminal Justice-adjacent consultancies while collaborating with policymakers at Congressional briefings and with engineers at Apple Inc. on vulnerability mitigation. He has also been affiliated with Uber-adjacent security initiatives and with private sector labs such as Pathable and independent research groups focusing on mobile security and automotive cybersecurity.

Notable security research and exploits

Miller's early notable work included public demonstrations revealing remote code execution and sandbox escapes on the iPhone, attracting attention from Apple Inc., Google, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He won recognition at events including CanSecWest and the Pwn2Own competition for exploiting vulnerabilities in popular platforms such as Safari, iOS, and macOS. Later, partnering with security researcher Chris Valasek, Miller demonstrated remote compromise of vehicle systems on platforms produced by Toyota, Ford Motor Company, and Jeep (Chrysler) at conferences attended by engineers from General Motors and regulators from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those demonstrations prompted coordinated disclosures involving companies such as Bosch, Continental AG, and automotive suppliers, and informed guidance from Department of Transportation offices. Miller also researched vulnerabilities in Bluetooth, SMS handling, and in third-party mobile applications distributed via the App Store, contributing exploit techniques presented at Black Hat and DEF CON.

Publications and presentations

Miller has authored technical papers and white papers presented at venues including Black Hat USA, DEF CON, CanSecWest, and academic workshops affiliated with IEEE and USENIX. His presentations covered topics such as iOS sandbox bypasses, kernel exploitation, and adversarial control of vehicle networks like Controller Area Network systems. He has contributed articles to security industry publications and participated in panels alongside researchers from Google Project Zero, Microsoft Security Response Center, and academics from Stanford University and University of California, San Diego.

Awards and recognition

Miller received awards at the Pwn2Own contest and accolades from industry groups including recognition from SC Magazine and security conference committees at Black Hat. His automotive exploit work was cited in investigative journalism by outlets covering technology and transportation policy, prompting discussions in forums such as DEF CON and briefings to committees of the United States Congress evaluating cyber-physical risks. His contributions have been acknowledged by peers in organizations like ISSA and by corporate security teams at Apple Inc. and Tesla, Inc. for improving product defenses.

Personal life and legacy

Miller resides in the United States and continues to engage with the security community through talks, mentoring, and advisory roles with startups and research labs. His demonstrations and coordinated disclosures helped establish norms for vulnerability reporting across the technology industry and automotive industry, influencing how manufacturers, regulators, and researchers collaborate on safety-critical software. His work remains a reference point in discussions on securing connected devices, influencing curricula at universities and training at industry conferences.

Category:Computer security researchers Category:1976 births Category:People from Iowa City, Iowa