Apple's Lockdown Mode breached by new iPhone jailbreak
What's the story
A hacker group called Calif has developed a new jailbreak for the iPhone, which works even when Lockdown Mode is enabled. The breakthrough was demonstrated in a video shared on X. The demonstration shows an iPhone 18 Pro with Lockdown Mode enabled, successfully updated to iOS 27.2 during the video.
Methodology
The jailbreak process involved sending a PDF file via AirDrop
The jailbreak process demonstrated by Calif involved sending a PDF file via AirDrop to the iPhone.
The hacker group did not share any technical details of the jailbreak publicly, leaving some aspects of the method open to speculation.
After receiving the AirDrop, they accessed the Software Update section in Settings and proceeded with an iOS update while Lockdown Mode was still active.
Purpose
Lockdown Mode was introduced in iOS 16
Apple introduced Lockdown Mode in iOS 16 as a way to protect high-profile individuals from sophisticated cyberattacks.
The feature severely restricts apps and services on the iPhone, preventing potential attack vectors that hackers could exploit to access user data and accounts.
However, the recent jailbreak discovery indicates that there are still vulnerabilities in this security measure.
Disclosure
Calif disclosed vulnerabilities to Apple, but no tool release planned
Calif has claimed that they have disclosed the vulnerabilities they discovered to Apple. However, the hacker group has no plans of releasing a jailbreak tool.
The revelation comes as a blow to Apple's claim of maintaining a 100% protection rate for Lockdown Mode since its launch in 2022.