OneKey Founder Warns Older iPhones Carry Unpatchable Risks for Crypto Seed Phrases
OneKey founder Yishi Wang warned that iPhone 11 and earlier models have BootROM flaws Apple cannot patch, which could expose wallet seed phrases to an attacker with brief physical access. He advised users to move funds to newly generated seed phrases on secure devices rather than create new addresses under the existing phrase.
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What the Warning Says
OneKey founder Yishi Wang warned on October 31 and November 1, 2026 that iPhone 11 series devices and earlier models contain hardware vulnerabilities that no software update can fix, and that these could expose wallet seed phrases to an attacker with physical access to the phone. Crypto Briefing and Crypto.news both report the warning, though the two outlets date Wang's post differently: Crypto Briefing cites November 1, while Crypto.news cites an October 31 post. The substance of the two accounts is the same.
The concern centers on the BootROM, the first code that runs when an iPhone powers on. Because it is stored in the processor itself, Apple cannot replace it through an iOS update.
The Two Exploits
The older of the two flaws, checkm8, became public in 2019 and affects iPhones from the 4S through the X. The newer one, usbliter8, was disclosed in June 2026. Crypto Briefing says it covers the XS, XR, 11 series and second-generation SE. Crypto.news describes it as targeting Apple's A12 and A13 processors, which covers the same set of models.
Both outlets describe the attack method in similar terms. An attacker with physical access places the phone into Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode and connects specialized USB equipment, then executes code before iOS starts. Crypto.news notes that airplane mode does not prevent the attack, since no internet connection is required. Crypto Briefing adds that, per Wang's account, the attack leaves no trace, so an owner who gets the phone back may have no reason to suspect tampering.
Where the Risk Is Limited
The two outlets agree that exploiting the BootROM does not automatically hand an attacker a wallet. Crypto Briefing says the device passcode and the Secure Enclave, a dedicated security chip, remain barriers. Crypto.news says those protections are only as strong as their configuration. A short numeric passcode, which it notes has one million combinations for six digits, or a weak password on the wallet application, could make an extracted encrypted wallet file vulnerable to offline guessing.
Crypto.news also raises the "evil maid" scenario, in which a phone left unattended in a hotel room or handed over for inspection is physically tampered with. Crypto Briefing describes the same physical-access threat without using that label.
Recommended Response
Wang's core recommendation is to abandon existing seed phrases on affected devices. Crypto Briefing reports that he advised creating new seed phrases on secure devices and transferring assets to them, and that generating fresh addresses under the old phrase is not enough. The reasoning is that a seed phrase generates every address in a wallet, so new addresses derived from an exposed phrase still trace back to the same compromised key. Crypto Briefing lists several secondary steps Wang recommended, including limiting where the phone is connected by USB. Crypto.news reports a broader point Wang made: many holders treat old iPhones as offline cold storage, and these flaws challenge the assumption that the hardware is trustworthy.
Context From Recent Jailbreak Demonstrations
Crypto.news ties the warning to recent public jailbreak demonstrations. It reports that at the Hexacon conference in Paris on October 16, a research team demonstrated a jailbreak of an iPhone 18 Pro running iOS 27.0.1, bypassing Apple's Memory Integrity Enforcement protections, and that Apple released iOS 27.2 on October 26 addressing vulnerabilities reportedly used in those demonstrations. These demonstrations involve newer hardware than the devices the BootROM warning covers, and Crypto.news does not suggest they are related. Wang referenced a separate October 30 claim involving iOS 27.2, though Crypto.news reports he judged the publicly available video insufficient as evidence.
What Is Not Established
The warning comes from one founder of a hardware wallet company with a commercial interest in dedicated cold-storage devices. Neither outlet reports an independent security researcher confirming a real-world theft through these exploits. The technical details are drawn from publicly documented research, but the risk assessment and the recommended response are Wang's.
Why It Matters
For Traders
Holders with large balances on older iPhones may move funds in the coming days, but the warning itself does not change the price of any asset.
For Investors
The episode highlights hardware wallet demand and the security limits of repurposed phones, a structural theme for custody providers over a multi-month horizon.
For Builders
Wallet apps that rely on device passcodes and the Secure Enclave should document the BootROM threat model and support seed generation on dedicated hardware.
This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.
