iOS 12 jailbreak 12.4 version fixed; Apple trying to prevent future attacks through Bug Bounty Program

The iOS 12 jailbreak process has now been fixed by Apple following a massive gaffe on the company’s part several weeks ago. Those who will download the 12.4.1 version will be able to patch the security risks that were previously present, which also means you won’t be able to liberate your device anymore.

It can be recalled that the current iOS 12 jailbreak was created due to Apple un-patching, a previous exploit that was present in the 12.3 version. It’s still unclear what caused the blunder as the Cupertino-based tech giant has yet to explain the head-scratching mistake.

Following that, it didn’t take long for researcher pwn20wnd to create a legitimate iOS 12 jailbreak method and released it publicly. But while this is good news for those who want to liberate their phones, this also opens them up to malicious attacks that could cost them a lot of headaches.

iOS 12 jailbreak is a doorway for malicious attacks

Security experts have warned people about the risks that this new iOS 12 jailbreak impose, with a possibility of getting their devices remotely bricked by a malicious party. Thomas Reed, director of Mac and mobile at Malwarebytes, explains one possible route that these attackers might take, Wired reported.

“It's also worth noting that Cydia Impactor [a software needed to carry out the jailbreak] requires that the user enter their Apple ID credentials in the app in order to load the .IPA file onto the device,” says Reed. “It's never a good idea to provide your Apple ID credentials to any app, since those credentials are the key to your entire Apple life.” Despite the warnings, there is some cybersecurity benefit to the newly minted iOS 12 jailbreak.

iOS 12 jailbreak likely the last of its kind for a long while

Among them is a stricter implementation of security protocols in the future. Apple has always prided itself with its stringent security measures, but the company is not perfect, slip-ups do occur as has been seen with the latest iOS 12 jailbreak. To combat this, the company is creating a Bug Bounty Program that encourages white-hat hackers to bypass an operating system to preempt future attacks, LifeHacker reported.

These researchers can earn up to $1 million just by identifying these vulnerabilities and submitting their findings to Apple. This, of course, will make it far more difficult for hackers to create future exploits and it’s likely that the current iOS 12 jailbreak will be the last of its kind for a long while. The last time that such public bypass occurred was back in 2015.