Apple’s biggest leak in history reported

A skilled anonymous hacker leaked the source code for Apple's ultra-secret iBoot software on Wednesday, raising fears that almost any iPhone might be vulnerable to hackers. 

The Source code for iBoot, which is the first app that runs when you turn on an iOS device, was posted by an anonymous user "Zioshiba" on GitHub. 

For example, iBoot runs when the iPhone transitions from a black screen to a white screen and then the iOS home screen. 

The event captured the attention of several security experts, including one who told Motherboard that it was the “biggest leak in [Apple's] history.” 

“It's a huge deal,” Jonathan Levin, who writes books about iOS system programming, said in an interview with Motherboard. 

Levin was also able to confirm that the source code is authentic. 

With iBoot out in the open, it could make it easier for hackers to spot vulnerabilities in the software. 

It could also open up opportunities for savvy consumers to 'jailbreak' their iPhones, or free their device from constraints imposed by Apple. 

When an iPhone has been jailbroken, users can run software that's not typically allowed or delete applications that come pre-loaded on the device, also known as 'bloatware.' 

Apple recently began using Secure Enclave processors that ensure greater security and made jailbreaking almost obsolete.     

Fortunately, many of the risks associated with the leak have been mitigated. 

Apple has since responded and said that the leak concerns source code from iOS 9, which was released in 2015.