Faithful to its inflexible security policy, Apple has withdrawn its digital certificate for iOS 18.1, two weeks after the deployment of iOS 18.1.1, an update intended to plug several actively exploited vulnerabilities. Even if compatibility problems could appear, this at least proves that the Apple brand is concerned about the safety of its users.
The end of the iOS downgrade
The withdrawal of the signing certificate by Apple now makes any attempt to return to this version of the operating system impossible. Concretely, if you are running iOS 18.1.1, you can no longer reinstall version 18.1even if you have kept the corresponding IPSW (iPod Software) file. The latter is a file format used by Apple to distribute updates and downgrades of its various OS across all of its devices.
The downshift procedure, which consisted of holding down the key Option pressed while clicking the button Restore in iTunes or Finder, then manually selecting the 18.1 firmware file via USB connection, is now inoperable. Apple’s verification servers automatically refuse to authenticate digital signatures in this version, making any attempt at restoration or reinstallation impossible.
A differentiated impact according to user profiles
This decision mainly affects two categories of users : beta testers, used to navigating between system versions to evaluate new features, and the jailbreak community, for whom downgrading was a way to exploit known vulnerabilities in previous versions.
Downgrading also served as a fallback solution to the malfunctions sometimes introduced by certain updates, as illustrated by several past cases : the crash of iPad Pro M4s under iPadOS 18.0, excessive requests for access to the clipboard under iOS 16.0, or the incompatibility between iOS 14.7 and unlocking the Apple Watch via Touch ID.
Apple’s position, focused on protecting its users from malware, obviously clashes to the demands of defenders of digital freedom. The European Union, which has already intervened on the issues of third-party app stores and the proprietary Lightning connector, could one day force Apple to relax its firmware locking policy. In the meantime, you can always check IPSW.me to check the availability of different operating system versions for your device.
- Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.1, preventing any return to this version to increase user security.
- This decision mainly impacts beta testers and the jailbreak community, limiting fallback options.
- The European Union could ultimately intervene to relax Apple’s somewhat strict policy on its firmware.
By : Keleops AG
