Apple Vision Pro Hacked From Day One

MetaversePlanet February 5, 2024Last Updated: August 14, 2024

0 1 minute read

A PhD student from MIT successfully identified a kernel vulnerability in Apple Vision Pro on the very day of its release. Apple is expected to address this vulnerability with its first upcoming update.

It’s a common occurrence for computer enthusiasts to scrutinize and explore the security of newly released hardware. Apple’s Vision Pro, being the latest technological marvel, was no exception, and vulnerabilities in its system were swiftly discovered. In essence, Vision Pro was hacked on the day of its release.

Joseph Ravichandran, a PhD student specializing in microarchitectural security at MIT, played a significant role in this discovery. Ravichandran claimed to have identified a critical kernel vulnerability within Vision Pro’s operating system, known as VisionOS. This vulnerability raises concerns about the device’s susceptibility to jailbreaking and malware attacks.

Vision Pro, jailbreakable

As depicted in the photo above, when this vulnerability is exploited, Vision Pro displays a warning message that reads “Disconnect device” and “Your device needs to be restarted. The screen will go black after 30 seconds.” Additionally, Vision Pro’s Privacy & Security settings include a log file that records instances of unauthorized access.

In the last image shared by Ravichandran, an application named “Vision Pro Crasher” is visible, and a skull emoji wearing a Vision Pro headset appears above the pop-up window in question. At the bottom of the pop-up window, there is the text “Crash My Vision Pro.”

As previously mentioned, the search for and discovery of security vulnerabilities in new hardware is not uncommon. The reassuring aspect is that Apple has a strong track record of promptly addressing software security issues, especially for premium-tier products like Vision Pro. It is anticipated that this vulnerability will be resolved with the first software update to be released.