iOS 18.3.1 addresses a vulnerability that allowed attackers to disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked device.
A recent iPhone update addresses a security flaw that could allow an attacker to disable a nearly seven-year-old USB security feature. Apple’s release notes for iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1 indicate that this bug, which permitted the deactivation of USB Restricted Mode, “may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specifically targeted individuals.”
The release notes describe the now-patched security flaw as enabling “a physical attack,” meaning that the attacker would need access to the device to exploit it. Therefore, unless highly sophisticated attackers compromised your device, there was no cause for concern even before Monday’s update.


