Chinese Hackers Break Into Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro In 15 Seconds While Xiaomi Mi 11 Remained Undefeated

The Tianfu Cup is the Chinese Version of the Pwn2Own annual Hacking Contest. It is an event where ethical hackers compete among themselves to see who can break into major systems the fastest. It was at this event Chinese Hackers were able to break into the products that were deemed, Most difficult to break into. The list includes Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Windows 10 among others. But the main attraction of the event is how Chinese Hackers were able to break into the latest iPhone. The iPhone 13 Pro running iOS 15 in just 15 seconds. While the Xiaomi Mi 11 remained unbreached. Making it one of the only 3 products that were in the event to do so.

Should iOS 15 Users Need To Worry?

A Total of two teams were able to successfully break into the iPhone. The first team to do so was Kunlun Lab’s CEO who hacked the iPhone on stage in a mere 15 seconds. He used the Mobile Safari Web Browsers’ Remote Code Execution to pull it off. However, weeks of preparation were behind this feat. The other team to do so was Team Pangu who managed to do it in one second winning $300,000. Reports claim they used a Single click link that triggered a Remote Code Exploit which bypassed the Security Mechanisms. The exact nature of the attack has not been made public due to obvious security concerns.

According to the Protocol referred to as responsible disclosure they will report to Apple with their findings. After which Apple will work on a patch for that specific vulnerability and will release it to the Public. Only then will they reveal the exact nature of the attack they used. Apart from iOS 15 other products that were breached were Apple Safari running on Macbook Pro. Team Pungu who broke into their system set a new record. These securities breaches are actually a blessing in disguise as it is far better to find and exploit vulnerabilities in a controlled setting as the Tianfu Cup. Rather than someone outside official circles who may or may not harbor Malicious intent.

Those Who Remained Undefeated

In the Entire Competition, only three of them remained strong in the face of adversity. They were, smartphone Xiaomi Mi 11, The Synology DS220j Storage Device, and an Unbranded Chinese Electric Vehicle. A total of 16 products were put to the test and these 3 are the sole champions. Among those who didn’t make the cut is Google Chrome running on Windows 10 21H1, Windows 10, Adobe PDF Reader, Ubuntu 20, Domestic Mobile Phones Running on Android. Undergoing these trials will surely help these products to become better in the Future. They can further develop the vulnerable areas which the hackers used to penetrate their defenses. And for those who didn’t crack under the pressure Congrats as they just proved they have better security than the rest of them.

Being showcased as unhackable by some of the best hackers in the world is quite the reputation. And we can hope they will stay on this path and develop more and more unhackable products in the future. Together they can build a future where Data Security is at its peak. A Future where people don’t have to live in the constant fear of getting their data stolen by unknown assailants.

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