Paul Morris on May 6, 2018, 12:54 am

iOS 11.3.1 SEP Is Compatible With iOS 11.3, Here’s What That Means For Future Jailbreak

Do you remember the wondrous days of iOS jailbreaking when it didn’t take a scandalous amount of time to liberate a new version of iOS and the general public could enjoy that glorious untethered experience? Those days are long gone and the jailbreak world is a lot more complex now but that doesn’t it’s better or worse; just different.

With iOS 11.3.1 now out in the wild, additional jailbreak conversations are starting to be had, including around the new discovery that the iOS 11.3.1 SEP is compatible with iOS 11.3.

It’s been a whirlwind few days as far as iOS is concerned. We already know that iOS 11.3.1 recently started propagating through Apple’s servers and arriving on devices around the globe. We also know that Apple has used that opportunity to immediately stop signing previous iOS 11.3 firmware.

Additionally, Project Zero’s Ian Beer has also made his iOS 11.3 exploit proof-of-concept public, which instantly sent the jailbreak community into excitement mode. So, with all of that in mind, we have iOS 11.3.1 as the main current version of iOS, an exploit in the public domain for iOS 11.3, and Apple not allowing individuals to rollback from iOS 11.3.1 to iOS 11.3 due to it no longer being signed.

(iOS 11.3.1 jailbreak with Cydia by Keen Security Lab)

It’s all a bit of a conundrum. As you would expect from the modern jailbreak landscape. With that said, the news that the current iOS 11.3.1 SEP (Secure Enclave Processor) is compatible with iOS 11.3 means that users with iOS 11.3 SHSH2 blobs saved do still have a chance of getting to iOS 11.3 using the FutureRestore tool. This is particularly significant in the event that someone takes Ian Beer’s iOS 11.3 proof-of-concept and performs the necessary work required to actually release some form of public jailbreak for iOS 11.3.

For the average device owner with a passing interest in the world of iOS jailbreaking, the landscape is extremely confusing and the waters can best be described as muddied. With that said, all that someone really needs to concern themselves with is the fact that iOS 11.3.1 SEP compatibility with iOS 11.3 is definitely a positive discovery and could hopefully become an important player down the line when, or if, a jailbreak for iOS 11.3 is released using Beer’s POC. Let’s hope for the latter.