Millions of older iPhones are in danger

This is a hardware error located in SecureROM. SecureROM (or BootROM) is the first piece of code executed by the iPhone when it starts up. Because it is written directly to the chip right from the manufacturing process, any vulnerabilities that exist in SecureROM cannot be patched with a software update.

According to the report, the vulnerability allows attackers to interfere with the device boot process through the USB controller and system software. If successfully exploited, hackers can gain control of the iPhone before iOS has finished downloading, and even run unauthorized software.

This security vulnerability affects a series of older iPhone models such as iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Not stopping there, many other product lines are also affected including iPad Air 3, iPad mini 5, iPad Gen 8 and Gen 9, Studio Display, Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5, Apple Watch SE (1st generation), Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and HomePod mini.

Notably, many of these devices are still commonly used in the Vietnamese market. Products such as iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11 or iPad Gen 9 are still widely sold on the market with prices of only a few million dong.

The security research group recommends that users consider switching to newer hardware devices to minimize the risk of attacks.