Make sure your devices are updated.
Apple announced a security breach that could allow other parties to bypass passcodes and pull data from locked devices, according to Tech Radar.
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On Monday, the tech company released a new patch for iOS and iPadOS to fix the recently discovered vulnerability that could allow USB Restricted Mode to be disabled on a locked device.
“Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals,” the company warned.
The warning means that a hacker or law enforcement could gain full access to vulnerable devices.
The security advisory said that Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1 to address CVE-2025-24200 to protect against the issue.
The update is available for iPhone XS and later, iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.
New updates for Macs, Apple Watchs, and Vision Pros have also been issued, although no security alerts regarding these devices have been issued.
USB Restricted Mode was reportedly created in response to “GrayKey” — a hacking tool designed to help law enforcement access data on mobile devices.
Apple has long denied the government access to its devices and fought to guarantee users’ privacy. A move that has come under scrutiny from law enforcement, especially when trying to unlock the phones of suspected criminals and terrorists.
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Apple’s latest AI feature, Apple Intelligence, is also raising major privacy concerns.
The new iPhone tool allows the technology to access and analyze data from your apps, including sensitive banking, financial and location data — and some experts are concerned it gets too close to delicate information.
