Summary
Overview
TechLinked covers major tech news including an unpatchable security exploit affecting older iPhones, Meta's controversial lobbying efforts to gain immunity from child safety lawsuits, Waymo's fourth safety recall for its autonomous vehicles, and updates on Valve's popular Steam Controller 2. The episode also touches on trade tensions between the US and ASML over lithography machines potentially being shipped to China, and Mid-Journey's ambitious healthcare scanner claims.
Unpatchable iPhone Security Exploit Discovered
A hardware security flaw called USBliterate has been discovered in older Apple devices with A12 and A13 chips, affecting iPhones from XR through the 11 lineup, various iPads, Apple Watches, and even the Studio Display. The exploit hijacks the device's startup before iOS loads by leveraging a bug in the USB controller. While it requires physical access and a cable to execute, making remote attacks impossible, the real concern is if your phone gets stolen, as the flaw is baked into the silicon and cannot be patched through software updates.
- The exploit affects devices with A12 or A13 chips including iPhone XR through 11 lineup, iPads, Apple Watches S4/S5, HomePod Minis, and Studio Display
- Discovered by Paradigm Shift, the hack hijacks phone startup before iOS even loads by exploiting a USB controller hardware bug
- Requires physical access and cable to exploit, so Wi-Fi attacks are not possible
- Passcode and encrypted data should remain protected in the secure enclave even if exploited
- No patch will ever be released as the flaw is in the hardware silicon itself
" Since the flaw is baked into the silicon, though, no patch is ever coming short of buying new hardware. "
" It's not all bad news, though. I mean, the last bug like this became the backbone of iPhone jailbreaking, so maybe modders will end up happier than the actual criminals. "
Meta Lobbies for Immunity from Child Safety Lawsuits
Meta is actively lobbying Congress to gain immunity from state-level lawsuits related to child safety on its platforms. The company wants to make it illegal for states to sue, reserving that power only for the federal government. This lobbying effort comes in response to precedent-setting cases in California and New Mexico where juries found Meta liable for building addictive platforms and exposing children to predators, resulting in millions in fines and thousands of similar lawsuits being filed across the country.
- Meta is lobbying Congress for immunity from lawsuits brought against its platforms for harming children
- The goal is to make it illegal for states to sue on child safety grounds, reserving that power only for federal government
- California and New Mexico juries found Meta liable for building addictive platforms and exposing children to predators, fining the company millions
- Thousands of similar lawsuits are now being filed across the U.S., putting Meta at risk of losing serious cash
" I guess that's one way to deal with this, other than maybe not harming children in the first place. "
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