Researchers uncover an unpatchable security flaw affecting several iPhone generations

Live updates

1. 22h ago

   Hardware flaw usbliter8 leaves millions of iPhones permanently vulnerable

   Researchers at Paradigm Shift found a hardware-level vulnerability called usbliter8. The flaw resides in the BootROM of devices using A12, A13, S4, and S5 chips. Because this is a chipset issue, Apple cannot fix it with software updates.

   What's confirmed:

   • Paradigm Shift researchers discovered a hardware vulnerability named usbliter8.
   • The flaw affects devices with A12, A13, S4, and S5 chips.
   • Software updates cannot fix this BootROM vulnerability.
   • The flaw leaves millions of iPhones open to security exploits.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • The flaw allows for USB-triggered BootROM compromise.
   • Unpatchable chipset flaws create long-term enterprise risks according to NIST and ENISA guidance.
   confidence 95%
2. 2d ago

   Researchers Find Unpatchable BootROM Flaw in A12 and A13 Apple Chips

   Researchers at Paradigm Shift discovered a hardware-level vulnerability called usbliter8. The exploit affects devices using A12, A13, S4, and S5 chips. Because the flaw exists in the BootROM, it cannot be fixed via software updates.

   What's confirmed:

   • The usbliter8 vulnerability is a hardware-level BootROM exploit.
   • The flaw affects Apple devices utilizing A12, A13, S4, and S5 chips.
   • Affected devices include the iPhone XR, XS, and 11 series.
   • The security flaw is unpatchable via software updates.
   • Researchers at Paradigm Shift published the report on the vulnerability.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • The flaw affects some Apple Watch and Apple TV devices.
   • The exploit may lead to future jailbreaks for affected devices.
   confidence 100%