• Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
MUST READ

French Authorities confirm XSS.is admin arrested in Ukraine

 | 

Microsoft linked attacks on SharePoint flaws to China-nexus actors

 | 

Cisco confirms active exploitation of ISE and ISE-PIC flaws

 | 

SharePoint under fire: new ToolShell attacks target enterprises

 | 

CrushFTP zero-day actively exploited at least since July 18

 | 

Hardcoded credentials found in HPE Aruba Instant On Wi-Fi devices

 | 

MuddyWater deploys new DCHSpy variants amid Iran-Israel conflict

 | 

U.S. CISA urges to immediately patch Microsoft SharePoint flaw adding it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

Microsoft issues emergency patches for SharePoint zero-days exploited in "ToolShell" attacks

 | 

SharePoint zero-day CVE-2025-53770 actively exploited in the wild

 | 

Singapore warns China-linked group UNC3886 targets its critical infrastructure

 | 

U.S. CISA adds Fortinet FortiWeb flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 54

 | 

Security Affairs newsletter Round 533 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

 | 

Radiology Associates of Richmond data breach impacts 1.4 million people

 | 

Fortinet FortiWeb flaw CVE-2025-25257 exploited hours after PoC release

 | 

Authorities released free decryptor for Phobos and 8base ransomware

 | 

Anne Arundel Dermatology data breach impacts 1.9 million people

 | 

LameHug: first AI-Powered malware linked to Russia’s APT28

 | 

5 Features Every AI-Powered SOC Platform Needs in 2025

 | 
  • Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
  • Home
  • Breaking News
  • Mobile
  • Security
  • Apple indeed added a feature called “inactivity reboot” in iOS 18.1 that reboots locked devices

Apple indeed added a feature called “inactivity reboot” in iOS 18.1 that reboots locked devices

Pierluigi Paganini November 12, 2024

Apple iOS supports a new feature that reboots locked devices after extended inactivity, aiming to enhance data security for users.

Apple ‘quietly’ implemented a new security feature that automatically reboots a locked device if it has not been used for several days.

The new feature was introduced with the release of iOS 18.1 at the end of October.

The IT giant has implemented an auto-reboot timer on iOS devices that triggers after several days of inactivity. The feature erases sensitive data from memory to prevent unauthorized extraction.

The auto-reboot feature returns devices to a “Before First Unlock” restricting app access to encryption keys.

404 Media recently reported that law enforcement warned that securely stored iPhones awaiting forensic examination are mysteriously rebooting, making them harder to unlock.

Law enforcement warned that securely stored iPhones awaiting forensic examination are mysteriously rebooting, making them much harder to unlock, per a document obtained by 404 Media.

404 Media obtained the document from a mobile forensics source and verified it with another source.

The document notes that some iPhones in a forensics lab, including those in Airplane mode or a Faraday box, rebooted unexpectedly, losing their “After First Unlock” (AFU) state.

iPhones in an “After First Unlock” (AFU) can be accessed by law enforcement by using forensics tools like Cellebrite.

Once rebooted, the devices went into a Before First Unlock (BFU) state, which makes unlocking them much harder, as current tools can’t crack BFU iPhones. Three iPhones running iOS 18.0 were added to the lab on October 3, and officials hypothesize that these devices may have communicated with other iPhones in AFU mode, triggering a reboot if they were inactive or off-network. This could impact both evidence and personal devices running iOS 18.

This is the first time that this mysterious behaviour has been documented. The authors of the document appear to be law enforcement officials in Detroit. The experts believe a new security feature implemented in iOS 18 caused iPhones to reboot when disconnected from cellular networks.

“After being rebooted, iPhones are generally more secure against tools that aim to crack the password of and take data from the phone.” reported 404 Media.

“The purpose of this notice is to spread awareness of a situation involving iPhones, which is causing iPhone devices to reboot in a short amount of time (observations are possibly within 24 hours) when removed from a cellular network,” reads the document seen by 404 Media. 

The document recommends forensics labs to isolate AFU devices from iOS 18 devices to prevent unexpected reboots that erase the AFU state. It suggests taking inventory to check if any AFU devices have already rebooted.

404 Media now confirmed that Apple quietly introduced code into iOS 18.1 that reboots iPhones if it has not been unlocked for a period of time. The feature makes it harder for police forensics analysis of the devices.

“Apple indeed added a feature called ‘inactivity reboot’ in iOS 18.1.,” Dr.-Ing. Jiska Classen, a research group leader at the Hasso Plattner Institute, tweeted after 404 Media published on Thursday along with screenshots that they presented as the relevant pieces of code.” reported 404 Media.

“Apple indeed added a feature called “inactivity reboot” in iOS 18.1. This is implemented in keybagd and the AppleSEPKeyStore kernel extension. It seems to have nothing to do with phone/wireless network state. Keystore is used when unlocking the device.” Classen explained.

Apple indeed added a feature called "inactivity reboot" in iOS 18.1. This is implemented in keybagd and the AppleSEPKeyStore kernel extension. It seems to have nothing to do with phone/wireless network state. Keystore is used when unlocking the device.https://t.co/ONZuU9zVt2 https://t.co/4ORUqR6P6N pic.twitter.com/O3jijuqpN0

— Jiska (@naehrdine) November 8, 2024

Apple has not yet disclosed details of the new security feature.

Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, iPhones)


facebook linkedin twitter

Apple Hacking hacking news information security news iOS 18.1 IT Information Security Pierluigi Paganini Security Affairs Security News

you might also like

Pierluigi Paganini July 23, 2025
French Authorities confirm XSS.is admin arrested in Ukraine
Read more
Pierluigi Paganini July 23, 2025
Microsoft linked attacks on SharePoint flaws to China-nexus actors
Read more

leave a comment

newsletter

Subscribe to my email list and stay
up-to-date!

    recent articles

    French Authorities confirm XSS.is admin arrested in Ukraine

    Cyber Crime / July 23, 2025

    Microsoft linked attacks on SharePoint flaws to China-nexus actors

    APT / July 23, 2025

    Cisco confirms active exploitation of ISE and ISE-PIC flaws

    Hacking / July 22, 2025

    SharePoint under fire: new ToolShell attacks target enterprises

    Hacking / July 22, 2025

    CrushFTP zero-day actively exploited at least since July 18

    Hacking / July 22, 2025

    To contact me write an email to:

    Pierluigi Paganini :
    pierluigi.paganini@securityaffairs.co

    LEARN MORE

    QUICK LINKS

    • Home
    • Cyber Crime
    • Cyber warfare
    • APT
    • Data Breach
    • Deep Web
    • Digital ID
    • Hacking
    • Hacktivism
    • Intelligence
    • Internet of Things
    • Laws and regulations
    • Malware
    • Mobile
    • Reports
    • Security
    • Social Networks
    • Terrorism
    • ICS-SCADA
    • POLICIES
    • Contact me

    Copyright@securityaffairs 2024

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT