The USB Restricted Mode, a security enhancement purported to be coming with iOS 12, that blocks the loophole that law enforcement agencies have leveraged to crack into locked iPhone, by limiting the number of access via the USB port, has arrived with iOS 11.4.1 which started rolling out to users on Monday.
Apple confirmed the inclusion of the much talked-about security enhancement, USB Restricted Mode, in the newest stable version of the software iOS 11.4.1 which also comes with a number of bug fixes.
The new feature is aimed to thwart governments and bad actors from breaking into locked iPhone, albeit Apple maintains that it isn't looking to lock out the cops, as it limits access to data from the USB tool.
While the FBI had relied on solutions from GrayShift and Cellebrite, particularly GrayShift’s GrayKey, which is capable of unlocking even newer iPhone models, through the use of the USB port to access the iPhone in order to crack its password.
Apple is introducing the new security feature to prevent the use of such devices like the infamous GrayKey to unlock the iPhone.
The USB Restricted Mode tackles the brute force hacking method that's used by law enforcement agencies to decode a user’s password with repeated passcode entries. Apple had previously implemented the disabling of the Lightning port after one week, in iOS 11.4 so this has been cut off dramatically.
Additionally, the new software fixes an issue that prevented some users from viewing the last known location of their AirPods in Find My iPhone and also improves reliability of syncing mail, contacts, and notes with Exchange accounts.
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