In an unexpected turn of events, iOS & iPadOS 17.3.1 appears to be re-signed again despite Apple’s original un-signing of the firmware on March 12th.
By once again signing iOS & iPadOS 17.3.1, it is now once again possible for users to downgrade from 17.4.1 or 17.4 to 17.3.1 and it is also possible for those running earlier firmware to upgrade to 17.3.1.
This can be done by Option + clicking on the Restore button in Finder or by Shift + clicking on the Restore button in iTunes. In either case, you will be able to select the firmware file you wish to restore to.
It is particularly rare for Apple to re-sign an unsigned firmware, and it is usually an accident on the Cupertino-based company’s part that gets fixed quickly. These are often referred to by the jailbreak community as “signing parties.”
But before you get too excited, you should know that there isn’t yet a jailbreak for iOS 17.3.1, and that the only iPadOS 17.3.1 devices you can jailbreak as of now are the checkm8-vulnerable variety via palera1n — a particularly small subset of devices.
With that out of the way, who is this important news to?
If you have recently updated your firmware to iOS or iPadOS 17.4.1 or 17.4, then you may want to take advantage of this opportunity to downgrade, especially if you want any hopes of jailbreaking in the future.
Although there isn’t a jailbreak for iOS & iPadOS 17.3.1 at this time, the fact is that iOS & iPadOS 17.4.1 and 17.4 patched a lot of security vulnerabilities. Having said that, it’s a bit more likely that any future kernel exploit(s) and SPTM bypass(es) will encompass 17.3.1 than 17.4.1 or 17.4.
If you’re using a firmware earlier than iOS & iPadOS 17.3.1, should you consider upgrading? Our opinion is absolutely not.
We say this because a firmware earlier than iOS & iPadOS 17.3.1 is more likely to be vulnerable to kernel exploit(s) and SPTM bypass(es) than even 17.3.1 would be, so if you’re running a firmware earlier than 17.3.1, then you’re in a better spot than you would be if you upgraded to 17.3.1.
In any case, if you have the opportunity to downgrade your firmware, whether as a fluke or because Apple intended it, then we’d recommend taking advantage of it whenever possible. After all, this doesn’t happen often, and may not happen again. Apple is expected to fix this by the next time they un-sign firmware, or possibly sooner.
As always, you can check to see what firmware is being signed for your device via the handy IPSW.me website. You can also download any firmware file that you might need for yourself from our Downloads page.
Are you going to be taking advantage of this “signing party?” Let us know why or why not in the comments section down below.