OneKey Founder: iPhone 11 and Earlier Models Should Migrate Seed Phrases ASAP; System Updates Cannot Fix Chip-Level Vulnerability

PANews, November 1st — OneKey founder Yishi warned in a post that wiping data from older iPhones, enabling Airplane Mode, and using them solely as seed phrase storage devices is not as secure as most people think. If the device is an iPhone 11 or an earlier model, the problem is rooted in the chip itself, and no iOS system update can fundamentally resolve it.

iPhone 11 and earlier models (including XS, XR, the 11 series, and the second-generation SE) have BootROM hardware vulnerabilities (checkm8, usbliter8) that cannot be fixed via software updates. An attacker only needs physical access to the device and can connect a specially crafted USB device via DFU mode to execute code before the system boots. Airplane Mode is ineffective, and the phone shows no signs of tampering after the attack (a typical "evil maid" attack).

Yishi advises crypto users to check their device models and migrate seed phrases from iPhone 11 and earlier models to new devices as soon as possible; generate a completely new seed phrase and transfer assets, as creating new addresses under the old seed is ineffective; use long alphanumeric passwords instead of simple 6-digit PINs; bring their own chargers, enable Lockdown Mode, and keep the system up to date.