iOS 13.4.1

Downgrades from iOS 13.5 halted as Apple stops signing iOS 13.4.1

Apple is no longer signing iOS or iPadOS 13.4.1 as of this evening, a move that prevents iPhone and iPad users from downgrading from the iOS and iPadOS 13.5 software updates that the Cupertino-based tech giant released to the general public just last week.

Downgrading iOS device firmware isn’t a common necessity, but it can be necessary if or when Apple releases a software update that introduces bugs or instability to its devices. This isn’t a particularly common thing to happen, but it did transpire last October when iOS 13.2 was found to be ‘too aggressive’ with backgrounding restrictions, compelling many users to downgrade until a software update could be released to fix the issue.

Security researcher achieves tfp0 exploit on A13 device running iOS 13.4.1

Matrix code hacked iPhone.

Jailbreakers with access to an A7-A11 device pretty much have it made thanks to the hardware exploit-based checkra1n jailbreak that can’t be patched by Apple in a software update. Those handling newer devices, such as the A12 and A13 varieties, instead depend on infrequently released tfp0 exploits. These seem to surface sporadically with no rhyme or reason, and they can unfortunately be patched by Apple’s software updates.

On a more positive note, it does appear that a skilled security researcher going by the Twitter handle @ProteasWang has achieved tfp0 on an A13-equipped handset running iOS 13.4.1. This is currently the latest version of iOS available from Apple, and with that in mind, the news has particularly exciting implications for jailbreaks such as unc0ver and the to-be-released Chimera13 tool.