Top News

Millions of older iPhone and iPad users face a permanent security risk due to a newly discovered hardware flaw called usbliter8 that Apple cannot fix through software updates. The vulnerability, discovered by security research group Paradigm Shifttargets the A12 and A13 Bionic chipsleaving devices including iPhone XS, XR, and 11 series permanently exposed to deep security exploits.

Affected devices

Why it cannot be patched

The usbliter8 flaw sits directly within the permanent hardware of the processor’s BootROM (SecureROM), making it entirely unpatchable through software updates. Because the vulnerability exists within the BootROM hardware, affected devices remain permanently vulnerable regardless of iOS updates.

How the exploit works

usbliter8 exploits both a hardware bug in the USB controller and a specific configuration flaw in the device firmwareenabling arbitrary code execution on affected devices. The vulnerability allows hackers to:

• Execute malicious code on the device

• Take complete control of iPhone XS, XR, 11, and older iPad devices

• Access deep-level security vulnerabilities

Risk level and impact

The flaw is considered a critical unfixable vulnerability that allows hackers to completely compromise affected devices. This represents the first iPhone BootROM exploit in six yearsmarking a significant security concern for millions of users.

What users can do

Since the vulnerability is hardware-based and cannot be fixed, the only solution is upgrading to newer devices with A14 chips or later. Users of affected devices should:

• Avoid connecting to untrusted USB devices or chargers

• Be cautious about downloading apps from unknown sources

• Consider upgrading to newer iPhone models (iPhone 12 or later) for long-term security

The vulnerability affects devices dating back to 2018impacting hundreds of millions of iOS devices globally that Apple had previously considered secure from BootROM exploits.