Home
Mobiles
Mobiles News
Unpatchable Hardware Vulnerability Leaves Owners of Older iPhone XS, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 Models at Risk

Unpatchable Hardware Vulnerability Leaves Owners of Older iPhone XS, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 Models at Risk

Researchers say the vulnerability has been disclosed to Apple before publication, and the proof-of-concept code is publicly available.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 19 June 2026 17:21 IST

Unpatchable Hardware Vulnerability Leaves Owners of Older iPhone XS, iPhone XR and iPhone 11 Models at Risk

Apple's 10th and 11th generation iPhones are said to be affected

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

Researchers say the exploit affects Apple's A12 and A13 chipsets
Software updates cannot fix this specific flaw
Upgrading to newer devices is recommended

Security researchers have published the proof-of-concept exploit, dubbed "usbliter8", which targets a vulnerability in Apple's BootROM component of iPhone, the unalterable code that runs before iOS starts loading. Since BootROM is permanently etched into a chip during the manufacturing process, researchers claimed that vulnerabilities discovered at this level cannot be fixed through software updates. The newly disclosed exploit is said to affect devices ranging from the iPhone XS lineup to the iPhone 11 series, along with several iPad models powered by the A12 and A13 SoCs.

Usbliter8 Exploit Works on Apple's A12 and A13 Chips

According to a report published by European cybersecurity research firm Paradigm Shift, the usbliter8 exploit targets a flaw in the USB controller integrated into Apple's A12 and A13 chips. The vulnerability is claimed to be significant since it exists at the BootROM level, the earliest stage of the device's boot process.

Apple Discussion

Explore More...

During an iPhone's startup, the USB controller usually stores incoming data in memory buffers. Researchers said they discovered a way to manipulate how the controller manages those buffers by injecting a specially crafted sequence of unusually small USB packets during startup. This causes memory corruption at a very low level of the system.

Google Takes Legal Action Against AI Scam Group Outsider Enterprise

While the internal memory pointer inside the USB controller is only intended to move forward, they were able to move it backwards as well, which allowed data to be written to the protected regions of the memory. The process of gaining control of the processor is claimed to be relatively straightforward, especially on A12-powered devices, once the vulnerability is triggered.

On the other hand, A13-powered models were reportedly more complex due to Apple's introduction of Pointer Authentication Codes (PAC). It is, notably, a hardware security feature that is designed to detect unauthorised memory modifications. Thus, on such devices, bypassing PAC required a multi-stage exploitation process, and code could be executed.

Once successful, however, the exploit is claimed to be capable of lowering certain security restrictions and booting unsigned software that would normally fail Apple's verification checks.

Instagram Alerting Users After Meta AI Exploit Enabled Account Takeovers

The exploit is said to be a hardware-level flaw, originating from the USB controller hardware itself rather than being a software flaw. Researchers hence claim that such BootROM flaws cannot be patched through iOS updates, and shifting to newer hardware is the most effective solution for users with affected devices.

Researchers said they reported the vulnerability to Apple before publication and coordinated disclosure with the company. The proof-of-concept code has now been released publicly. However, it's worth noting that it requires physical access to the device to exploit, does not affect Secure Enclave, and it is not a complete jailbreak at present.

Apple Devices Affected By the Hardware Flaw

The exploit affects devices based on Apple's A12 and A13 chipsets, as well as certain Apple Watch models using related silicon. The affected models include the following devices:

Anthropic Brings Its Cybersecurity AI Model Claude Mythos to India

iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max

Additionally, several iPad models powered by the A12-series processors are also said to be vulnerable, including those based on A12, A12X, A12Z, and A13 platforms. However, the cybersecurity firm's proof-of-concept only focuses on A12 and A13-powered devices. The company also confirmed support for Apple's S4 and S5 chips used in older Apple Watch models.

What's interesting is that the A11 chip inside the iPhone X is not affected. This is due to the Cupertino-based tech giant's implementation of an additional USB pointer reset mechanism in its BootROM. Further, newer Apple devices powered by the A14 and later processors also remain protected against the exploit, since correct memory-protection mechanisms were said to have been enabled by Apple at the BootROM level.

Apple iPhone XS

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Best-in-class performance
Excellent cameras
Superb display
Dual SIM support is finally an option
Regular, timely software updates

Bad
Expensive
Dual SIM support is limited
First-party apps not great in India
Fast charger not bundled

Read detailed Apple iPhone XS review

Display 5.80-inch

Processor Apple A12 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 12

Resolution 1125x2436 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

Apple iPhone XS Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Best-in-class performance
Excellent cameras
Superb display
Dual SIM is finally an option
Great battery life
Regular, timely software updates

Bad
Expensive
Some might find it bulky
Dual SIM support is limited
First-party apps not great in India
Fast charger not bundled

Read detailed Apple iPhone XS Max review

Display 6.50-inch

Processor Apple A12 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 12

Resolution 1242x2688 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

Apple iPhone XR

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Best-in-class performance
Excellent cameras
Dual SIM is finally an option
Great battery life
Regular, timely software updates

Bad
Low-resolution display
Dual SIM support is limited
First-party apps not great in India
Fast charger not bundled

Read detailed Apple iPhone XR review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A12 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

RAM 3GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 2942mAh

OS iOS 12

Resolution 828x1792 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

iPhone 11

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Best-in-class performance
Excellent battery life
Great cameras
Night Mode is a welcome addition
iOS offers regular, timely updates

Bad
Low-resolution display
Slow bundled charger
No PiP or other software features that utilise the big screen

Read detailed Apple iPhone 11 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A13 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 4GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 3110mAh

OS iOS 13

Resolution 828x1792 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

iPhone 11 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Best-in-class performance
Insanely good battery life
Great cameras
Night Mode is a welcome addition
iOS offers regular, timely updates

Bad
Expensive
64GB isn’t enough storage for a Pro device
No PiP or other features that utilise the big screen

Read detailed Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max review

Display 6.50-inch

Processor Apple A13 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 4GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 3969mAh

OS iOS 13

Resolution 1242x2688 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

iPhone 11 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Display 5.80-inch

Processor Apple A13 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 4GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 3046mAh

OS iOS 13

Resolution 1125x2436 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Choose a variant

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Apple, iPhone Xr, iPhone XS, iPhone Xs max, Cybersecurity

Shaurya Tomer

Email Shaurya Tomer

Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More