Apple Confirms iPhone Source Code Leak is Real, But Says its Security Doesn’t Depend on Secrecy

Source code for iBoot, a core component of the iPhone’s operating system leaked on GitHub yesterday, raising concerns that the hackers and security researchers could dig into the code to find iOS vulnerabilities.

In a statement issued to MacRumors this morning, Apple confirmed the authenticity of the code but emphasized that it’s for iOS 9, a three-year-old operating system that’s been replaced with iOS 11 and is in use on only a small number of devices.

“Old source code from three years ago appears to have been leaked, but by design the security of our products doesn’t depend on the secrecy of our source code. There are many layers of hardware and software protections built into our products, and we always encourage customers to update to the newest software releases to benefit from the latest protections.”

Based on data from Apple’s App Store support page for developers, iOS 11 is installed on 65 percent of devices, iOS 10 is installed on 28 percent of devices, and earlier versions of iOS, such as iOS 9, are installed on just seven percent of devices.

In addition to acknowledging that the leak contained real source code, Apple this morning also sent a DMCA takedown notice to GitHub this morning, successfully getting the code removed from the site.

The data that was shared on GitHub was incomplete so the iBoot code was not able to be compiled, but it did include a documents directory that offered up additional information relevant to iBoot, and combined, the data leak could make it easier to locate vulnerabilities to create new jailbreaks.

Average users should not need to be concerned about the leak, however, as Apple has many layers of protection in place, like the Secure Enclave, and does not rely on source code secrecy alone as a way to keep its users safe.

Security researcher Will Strafach, who spoke to TechCrunch, echoed what Apple had to say. He believes the source code is compelling because it provides an inside look into the inner workings of the bootloader, but ultimately, “Apple does not use security through obscurity,” so there is nothing risky in the code.
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Review: Plugable’s New 480GB Thunderbolt 3 SSD Offers Super Fast Transfer Speeds

Plugable, a company that offers a range of hubs, docking stations, storage solutions, and other accessories for Mac and Windows machines this week launched a new external NVME SSD that offers 480GB and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity for incredibly fast transfer speeds.

The Plugable TBT3-NVME480 SSD is designed for Thunderbolt machines like Apple’s latest line of MacBook Pro models, and it offers transfer speeds of up to 2400MB/s read and 1200MB/s write.

Design

Design wise, the palm-sized Plugable Thunderbolt 3 SSD is unremarkable. It’s made from a solid black brushed aluminum with a ridged design at the sides, and a single LED light on the front that lets you know when it’s connected and receiving power.

There’s an integrated Thunderbolt 3 cable at the top, and a rather large and highly visible printed Pluable logo, which cheapens the look of the device just a bit. It’s smaller than an iPhone X and similar in size to a deck of cards, so it’s portable enough to stick in a bag or even a pocket if so desired.

As with most SSDs, your MacBook provides power to the SSD, so there’s no extra power cable to deal with.

With continual usage, I’ve noticed that Plugable’s SSD can get fairly warm, but that’s not unusual and it does not appear to impact performance.

It’s worth noting that the TBT3-NVME480 SSD comes with an 18-month warranty that can be extended to 36 months through registration, so if it fails during that time period, Plugable will replace it for you.

Transfer Speeds

As mentioned above, Plugable says the TBT3-NVME480 SSD is able to reach maximum read speeds of 2400MB/s and maximum write speeds of 1200MB/s thanks to Thunderbolt 3 connectivity and its use of NVMe technology.

In Blackmagic disk speed tests with a 2016 MacBook Pro, my actual results varied a bit. With the test that uses 5GB file sizes to test transfer speeds, read speeds topped out at about 2025MB/s, while write speeds were just about at Plugable’s promised 1200MB/s.

You should see faster transfer speeds near the maximum with smaller file sizes. In practice, it took just about three minutes to transfer a 57GB file from my MacBook Pro to the Plugable SSD. Comparatively, that same transfer with a standard hard drive took 17 minutes.

Transfer speeds will, in practice, differ based on the other peripherals you have plugged into your Mac and your Mac’s workload.

When using this drive with the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, make sure to plug it into the left side of the machine. The Thunderbolt 3 ports on the right side of the 13-inch MacBook Pro have reduced PCI Express bandwidth and Plugable says transfer speeds could be slower in this situation.

Compatibility

Plugable’s TBT3-NVME480 SSD is compatible only with Thunderbolt 3 machines, and it is not backwards compatible with Macs and Windows PCs that use USB-C or USB-A. That means you’re not going to be able to plug this into an older machine to facilitate file transfers – it’s exclusively for use with Thunderbolt 3.

For Apple’s Macs, that means it works with the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models, 2017 iMac models, and all iMac Pro models. macOS Sierra and later is required.

The SSD also works with Windows machines that support Thunderbolt 3 and have Windows 10, 8.1, or 7 installed. It is not compatible with Boot Camp Windows installations, unfortunately.

On Macs, the TBT3-NVME480 SSD works as soon as it’s plugged into a free Thunderbolt 3 port (it’s exFAT formatted), while on Windows, you’ll need to go through an authentication process. Windows users will also need to make sure the latest TB3 and BIOS firmware updates are installed.

Bottom Line

At $400 for 480GB of storage, the Plugable BT3-NVME480 SSD isn’t cheap, but it’s also not wildly unaffordable if you’re aiming to find an SSD that’s going to offer the fastest speeds you can get for tasks like large file transfers, booting an OS, or running a gaming library or photo library from an external drive.

You can get a 480GB SSD from Amazon for somewhere around $150, so the Plugable TB3 SSD is more than twice as expensive as other options, but it also offers twice the transfer speed. With a standard SSD, you’re going to max out at about 450-500MB/s, so that extra $250 gets you more than twice the speed.

There are few Thunderbolt 3-compatible drives on the market right now, and most other options are 1TB+ and far more expensive, so it’s nice that Plugable is offering a smaller, less expensive drive that’s at least a little more accessible. On the downside, this storage solution is TB3 only and can’t be used with non-TB3 machines, which is something to be aware of.

The average person doesn’t need to shell out the extra money for the kind of transfer speeds offered by Plugable’s new SSD, but for those who do need the fastest possible speeds, this is a storage option that’s potentially worth checking out.

How to Buy

You can purchase Plugable’s Thunderbolt 3 480GB NVME Solid State Drive from the Plugable website or from Amazon.com for $399.

Note: Plugable provided MacRumors with a TBT3-NVME480 SSD for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
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