Apple's iOS 7 Lightning Connector Authentication Check 'Permanently' Cracked

As noted just after the launch of the first iOS 7 beta earlier this month, the operating system is capable of detecting when unauthorized Lightning cables or accessories are plugged into an iOS 7 device. While the system alerts the user with dialog box that must be manually dismissed, it does not prevent the unauthorized cables and accessories from working with the device at this point.

iPhone5mod, the Chinese firm that was among the first to begin offering Lightning accessories last year while Apple had yet to authorize official accessories and was struggling to keep up with demand for its own Lightning cables, now claims to have cracked Apple's iOS 7 authentication and is now offering new cables compatible with the upcoming operating system.


iPhone5mod's Cyril Chang says that his company's effort is a hardware crack that can not be worked around by Apple without changing its own Lightning hardware, and iPhone5mod is offering a money-back guarantee that its new cables will work with the final release of iOS 7.

Chang warns that several other companies have claimed to have achieved similar cracks, but that in iPhone5mod's testing those companies' cables still generate alerts under certain circumstances.

iPhone5mod's cables, docks and accessories are all being updated with the new cracked Lightning chips, with production already underway.

Update 10:56 AM: Chang tells MacRumors that the new Lightning cables with cracked authentication continue to function properly under iOS 7 beta 2, which was released today.

Related Forum: iOS 7

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...

Top Rated Comments

rdas7 Avatar
154 months ago
Oh phew! Now cheap knockoff cables can finally set fire to your iPhone 5 without that annoying warning popup!!
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dennno Avatar
154 months ago
Seriously they could have diverted all this effort to "crack" the authentication to refining their product to become an approved accessory provider.

Why would people bother buying this? If they have to bypass the authentication then something is clearly wrong with this cheap Chinese product.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
uiop. Avatar
154 months ago
Until Apple decides $20 is unreasonable for a charging cable, I have no shame in buying knockoffs. If I were to have purchased all genuine Apple Lightning cables for all the chargers around my house and in my car, I'd have spent ~$120, not including the USB chargers.

The argument of "You get what you pay for" is not really useful either. I've been using said cables for months and they have no signs of abnormal wear, nor have they spontaneously combusted, or whatever some people believe will happen to them. Good for the company who cracked the authentication code for iOS 7. Apple's current pricing system is an absolute money-making sham.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DotCom2 Avatar
154 months ago
Apple could prevent all this by just charging a reasonable price for their cables.
PROBLEM SOLVED!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lifeinhd Avatar
154 months ago
If they have to bypass the authentication then something is clearly wrong with this cheap Chinese product.

No, something is wrong with Apple's outrageous licensing fees. No one wants to pay that ransom.

The problem is on Apple's end.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
i.mac Avatar
154 months ago
Another crapware company stealing IP from apple.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)