There’s no cure for this cybervirus.
Cybersecurity experts at Paradigm Shift have identified an unfixable security flaw in older iPhone models and other Apple devices that can be exploited by hackers.
“Vulnerabilities at this level can compromise the integrity of the entire device,” the European security firm’s wrote in a blog detailing the bug, which they flagged to Apple Product Security before publishing.
Dubbed usbliter8, this vulnerability in the USB controller and firmware allows bad actors to override the device’s startup process and jailbreak it before the iOS loads, TechRadar reported.
As a result, they can run unauthorized software or extract sensitive info from the device.
This flaw affects iPhone models with A12 and A13 chips, specifically: the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro iPhone 11 Pro Max, Second-generation, iPhone SE, iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, according to Apple Insider.
Also at risk are S4 and S5 chips, which power some iPad and Apple Watch models.
The impacted models entail the eighth and ninth generation iPad, third-generation iPad Air, the fifth-generation iPad Mini, the first and second generation 11-inch iPad Pro, the third and fourth generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the first-generation Apple Watch SE, and the Apple Watch Series 4 and 5
The goods news is that hackers can’t hack the device remotely — they need physical access to the gadget. But stolen or confiscated devices are still susceptible to this digital Trojan Horse.
The downside is that this is a glitch in the hardware design rather than a software bug, meaning that Apple can’t remedy it via an update.
Instead, “migrating to newer hardware remains the most effective mitigation,” Paradigm Shift explains.
In other words, the best fix is to purchase a new phone.
