Unpatchable "usbliter8" Vulnerability Discovered in Apple's A12 and A13 Chips
By
Fria Reyes
Summary
Researchers at Paradigm Shift discovered an unpatchable vulnerability called "usbliter8" in Apple's A12, S4/S5, and A13 chips. The exploit targets the Boot ROM, an immutable piece of code that runs first during the boot process and is security-critical. Since the Boot ROM cannot be altered by design—even by Apple—this vulnerability cannot be patched. The affected chips are used in multiple Apple devices including iPhone XR, iPhone XS/XS Max, iPad Air 3, iPad mini 5, iPad 8, and second-generation Apple TV 4K.
Source
bskyUnpatchable "usbliter8" Vulnerability Discovered in Apple's A12 and A13 Chipsprivacyguides.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledResearchers at Paradigm Shift discovered a new unpatchable vulnerability, dubbed "usbliter8," in Apple's A12, S4/S5, and A13 chips.
The exploit targets the Boot ROM, a piece of code that's immutable by design so that no one can alter it, even Apple.
It's the first piece of code that runs during the boot process so it's security-critical.
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