A cybersecurity firm that sells spyware and hacking tools to government agencies has publicly disclosed a critical vulnerability in Apple chips, potentially enabling hackers to jailbreak older iPhones. The disclosure, made by Barcelona-based Paradigm Shift, could allow security researchers and government contractors to develop effective exploits—provided they can chain this flaw with other vulnerabilities.
What the Vulnerability Does
Publicly released on Friday, the vulnerability—dubbed “usbliter8”—targets the iPhone’s Boot ROM, the first code executed when an iPhone powers on and its primary line of defense. Since the Boot ROM is burned into the chip during manufacturing, it cannot be patched or updated. This makes any flaw within it “unpatchable.”
The exploit requires physical access to the target device (via a cable connection). By exploiting usbliter8, attackers can bypass subsequent security checks, potentially enabling a full jailbreak—the removal of Apple’s software restrictions. Paradigm Shift also published a proof-of-concept demonstrating how to exploit the vulnerability.
Affected Devices
The vulnerability affects iPhones equipped with Apple’s A12 and A13 chips, released in 2018 and 2019 respectively. This includes models such as the iPhone XS, XR, and up to the iPhone 11. As of 2026, many of these devices are no longer receiving software updates, but they remain in active use worldwide.
Implications for Security and Jailbreaking
This release is significant in the security research and spyware industries. Companies like Cellebrite and Magnet Forensics, which sell tools to law enforcement for accessing seized iPhones, likely already possess similar exploits. However, usbliter8 alone does not access user data—attackers must chain it with other exploits to extract encrypted information.
Public iPhone jailbreaks have become increasingly rare, but this disclosure could reignite interest among researchers. In the past, jailbreaking was relatively common; today, it is a niche pursuit due to Apple’s strengthened defenses. Still, the release underscores that even the most secure devices contain vulnerabilities that determined hackers can exploit.
A Permanent Risk
Paradigm Shift noted in its blog: “As these vulnerabilities reside in immutable code, affected users should be aware that migrating to newer hardware remains the most effective mitigation.” In other words, users of older iPhones cannot fix the flaw—they must upgrade to a device with a newer, unaffected chip.
Looking ahead to 2026, this disclosure serves as a reminder that hardware-based vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they cannot be patched. Apple’s newer chips (starting with A14) are not affected, but the existence of this flaw will likely prompt users of older models to consider upgrading if security is a priority.
via TechCrunch