More often than not, when we come across a flaw in a device, it’s usually software-related. The good news is that with software flaws, they can be patched with an update. Unfortunately, hardware flaws aren’t that easy. In fact, a recent report has revealed two more legacy iPhone processors that are affected by a hardware flaw.
A12, A13 Bionic iPhone processors affected by hardware flaw
According to a report from Paradigm Shift, the A12 Bionic and A13 Bionic iPhone processors are affected by a hardware flaw. For context, the A12 Bionic is found in the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max. The A13 Bionic, on the other hand, powers the iPhone 11 series and the 2nd generation iPhone SE.
So, what is this hardware flaw? This bug was discovered in the iPhone’s USB controller. As a result of the bug, it created a situation that allowed small packets of data to manipulate the internal hardware pointer that keeps track of where the next packet should go. This means that in some cases, data ends up being written in places it shouldn’t.
This means that in theory, someone with an affected device could load their own code before iOS itself loads, thus enabling them to run modified software on the phone. But the question is, how dangerous is this flaw? And the answer is, it depends.
For starters, it’s not a remote hack kind of attack. This means that the only way to actually exploit this flaw is with physical access to the device. Secondly, at least for now, it doesn’t impact the Secure Enclave, which means biometrics and encryption keys are safe. Lastly, this might actually be something jailbreakers and tinkerers might be excited about. Granted it only works on legacy devices, but it’s still something they can play with.
What are affected users supposed to do?
Unfortunately, due to this being a hardware flaw baked into the silicon, there’s nothing Apple or users can do. The only recourse is to upgrade to one of Apple’s newer devices, which for now does not exhibit that bug.
However, like we said, this isn’t a bug that enables remote hacking. For most users, it really makes no difference. The broader implication is that by being able to load custom code, it could allow hackers to attempt to break into the Secure Enclave. For now, it doesn’t appear to be the case, but the fact that the door is open means it could be possible.
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