Apple Accidentally Unpatches Vulnerability, Leading to New iOS 12.4 Jailbreak

Apple in iOS 12.4 mistakenly unpatched a vulnerability that was fixed in the iOS 12.3 update, leading to a new jailbreak available for iOS 12.4 devices, reports Motherboard.

Hackers discovered the vulnerability over the weekend and Pwn20wnd created a publicly available, free jailbreak that works on devices running the latest version of iOS or any version of iOS below iOS 12.3.

unc0ver jailbreak 12 4
Most jailbreak code is kept private to keep Apple from patching it, so this is the first time that a public jailbreak has been available in a while. It was apparently discovered when a user tested an older jailbreak on iOS 12.4 and found the patch had been reverted.

Security researcher Jonathan Levin told Motherboard that the accidental vulnerability also once again makes iPhone users vulnerable to a "100+ day exploit," referring to how long the bug has been around.

Ned Williamson from Google Project Zero said that the bug could be exploited to install spyware on a target ‌iPhone‌.

The researcher told Motherboard that "somebody could make a perfect spyware" taking advantage of Apple's mistake. For example, he said, a malicious app could include an exploit for this bug that allows it to escape the usual iOS sandbox--a mechanism that prevents apps from reaching data of other apps or the system--and steal user data.

Another scenario is a hacker including the exploit in a malicious webpage, and pairing it with a browser exploit, according to the researcher.

A third security researcher, Stefan Esser said that people should be careful what apps they download from the App Store right now. "Any such app could have a copy of the jailbreak in it," he wrote on Twitter.

Multiple users have confirmed that the jailbreak works and that their devices have been jailbroken using the new software. Apple has not commented on how or why the vulnerability was unpatched, but the company will likely have a fix available soon.

Top Rated Comments

Wiencon Avatar
60 months ago
Honest question... do people still really jailbreak like that? Like, how big is the jailbreak community now?
I love questions like that. Yeah, the community is quite big, the jailbreak subreddit has over 300k subscribers and after last couple of releases it seems to be gathering some popularity.

Stock iOS 12 is great, but jailbreaking it is a no-brainer for me, especially when we can jailbreak the newest and signed version (which is a very rare opportunity)
I can tell you why I jailbreak all my iOS devices (SE and two X's)

- You can get real split screen multitasking with the https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/04/23/pullover-pro/

- You can have ANY app on the CarPlay screen with https://www.redmondpie.com/carbridge-for-ios-12-jailbreak-released-lets-you-use-any-app-with-carplay/

- You can get all iPhone X gestures on older devices without any lags, bugs, with the https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/03/18/neptune-for-iphone/

- You can have customizable Answering machine, record messages to the device and even set different greetings for different callers with https://www.idownloadblog.com/2018/08/23/answeringmachine-x/

- You can get rid of the full screen calling screen which users have been asking for ages with https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/03/06/callbar-xs-brings-everyones-favorite-phone-call-centric-jailbreak-tweak-to-ios-12/

- You can stack icons together instead of using folders which looks extremely cool with https://www.idownloadblog.com/2018/12/03/zenith/

- You can get amazing gestures in app switcher screen with https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/05/04/gesto/

- You can get the grid switcher from iPad in your iPhone with https://www.idownloadblog.com/2019/03/11/newgridswitcher/

- You can have custom shortcuts on lockscreen with the https://www.idownloadblog.com/2018/04/20/jumper/

- You can write notes on your lockscreen with the https://www.idownloadblog.com/2018/08/30/notepad/

- And hundreds of small things

Jailbreaking is not only about some themes, you can really get the 100% from your iPhones instead of the 60% or less that Apple gives you.
My jailbroken SE can do more than stock XS (without any performance issues) and that is not an exaggeration

I think that now is an amazing opportunity to try jailbreaking, you have nothing to lose. If anything happens (which is extremely unlikely because jailbreaks now aren't permanent/untethered) you can easily restore your device to the newest stock iOS version with iTunes and forget about everything
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unity451 Avatar
60 months ago
I really wish that I had the surplus of time that hackers always seem to have.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jsmith189 Avatar
60 months ago
Honest question... do people still really jailbreak like that? Like, how big is the jailbreak community now?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleFan91 Avatar
60 months ago
I wish Apple was on its game, but alas, no. It's a company spread too thin, governed by greedy hand-wringers.
Yes yes, and Apple is doomed and Steve is rolling in his grave like a gas station hotdog
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mannyvel Avatar
60 months ago
I'm surprised this regression happened. This points to a breakdown in product management discipline, which in general is a bad sign.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BarredOwl Avatar
60 months ago
I wish Apple was on its game, but alas, no. It's a company spread too thin, governed by greedy hand-wringers.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...