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Kernel of iOS 10 Preview Is Not Encrypted -- Nobody Knows Why (technologyreview.com)

Posted by msmash on from the puzzling-researchers-inc dept.

Security experts are claiming that iOS 10 preview, which Apple made available to enthusiasts last week, is not secure. iOS 10 is the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system. It will be available to standard customers later this year (likely around September). According to security experts, iOS 10's kernel is not encrypted. MIT News reports: Why Apple has suddenly opened up its code is unclear. One hypothesis in the security community is that, as author Jonathan Levin puts it, someone inside the company "screwed up royally." But he and security researcher Mathew Solnik both say there are reasons to think it may have been intentional. Encouraging more people to pore over the code could result in more bugs being disclosed to Apple so that it can fix them.

5 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. Not secure? by wiredog · · Score: 4, Informative

    How does "not encrypted" == "not secure" in this arena?

    FTA: "That doesnâ(TM)t mean the security of iOS 10 is compromised."

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    Best Slashdot Co
    1. Re:Not secure? by tbuddy · · Score: 3, Informative

      Article was stupid. Why anyone would get the source code from the build when they can get the source code for XNU right here for the last 20 years.

  2. Ok? by LichtSpektren · · Score: 4, Informative

    iOS shipped unencrypted by default until v.8. The source code is freely available to view online: http://opensource.apple.com/so...

  3. Re:Not the source code by LichtSpektren · · Score: 5, Informative

    The kernel is XNU which is open source: http://opensource.apple.com/so...

    Darwin is the open source OS that is the Unix core of macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS. So that is to say, when you say "iOS", you're talking about some closed source additions to Darwin which is particular to iPhones and iPads.

  4. Re:here's an idea by Blade · · Score: 4, Informative

    FTA,

    "Apple declined to comment on why it didn’t follow its usual procedure."

    Someone did ask, Apple didn't say anything.