OneKey Founder Warns of Chip-Level Risks to Mnemonic Phrases on Older iPhones
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AT A GLANCE
OneKey founder warned that the chip-level vulnerabilities in iPhone 11 and earlier models cannot be fundamentally resolved through system updates.
Article
OneKey Founder: Migrate the Mnemonic Phrase from iPhone 11 and Earlier Models as Soon as Possible; System Updates Cannot Resolve Chip-Level Vulnerabilities
PANews November 1 reported that OneKey founder Yishi posted a reminder stating that erasing data from an older iPhone, enabling Airplane Mode, and using it solely as a storage device for a mnemonic phrase is not actually as secure as most people imagine. If the device is an iPhone 11 or an earlier model, the problem is rooted in the chip, and no iOS system update can fundamentally resolve it. iPhone 11 and earlier models (including the XS、XR、11 series, second-generation SE and others) have BootROM hardware vulnerabilities that cannot be fixed through software updates (checkm8、usbliter8). An attacker only needs physical access to the device and can connect a specially crafted DFU device through USB mode to execute code before the system starts. Airplane Mode is ineffective, and after the attack the phone's exterior...
OneKey founder Yishi warned that older iPhones are not suitable for storing mnemonic phrases solely by erasing data and enabling Airplane Mode.
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iPhone 11 and earlier models are reported to have BootROM hardware vulnerabilities that cannot be fixed through software updates, including the checkm8 and usbliter8。
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The material states that after an attacker physically accesses the device and connects a specially crafted DFU device through USB mode, code can be executed before the system starts.
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The relevant models listed in the material include the XS、XR、11 series and second-generation SE。
AI-assisted interpretation
The following is analysis, separate from reported facts. Verify important claims independently.
BootROM is code that runs during the early stages of device startup. The material states that the relevant vulnerability is located at the chip level, so Airplane Mode and system updates cannot fundamentally resolve the risk.
Why it matters to readers
If this warning is accurate, relying solely on data erasure, Airplane Mode, and system updates on an older iPhone to protect a mnemonic phrase may be insufficient.
Beginners who use an older iPhone to store a mnemonic phrase should understand the security risks that physical access to the device may pose.
Risks and unknowns
The original text is truncated at “the phone's exterior...”; the full impact of the attack and recommended response are unclear.
The provided material does not include independent technical verification or evidence of actual mnemonic phrase leakage.
The scope of the relevant vulnerability and whether effective mitigations exist still require verification.
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Related concepts
Mnemonic Phrase
This term is not in the glossary yet. Browse related concepts in the glossary.
