An Apple Support document has now revealed that Apple made a rather unusual change to the production of its A12 and S5 processors last fall.
According to the company, Apple updated the Secure Enclave in the A12 and S5 processors to a second-generation version of the memory component in fall 2020.
What is the Secure Enclave?
For those unfamiliar with the subject, the Secure Enclave is a secure coprocessor that is included in almost every Apple device and provides an additional layer of security. All data stored on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and other Apple devices is encrypted with random private keys that only the Secure Enclave can access. These keys are unique and remain stored locally on the device. This means that there is no synchronization with iCloud. But the chip is not only responsible for encrypting the files, it is also responsible for storing the keys that manage sensitive data such as passwords, the credit card used by Apple Pay and even the biometric identification used to activate Touch ID and Face ID. Although the chip is permanently installed in the device and is a hardware component, it is completely separated from the rest of the system. This means that it works independently.
Apple Support Document Causes Confusion
Apple's specific adjustment here refers to the "Secure Storage Component" in which this data is stored within Apple's Secure Enclave. The change in question was discovered by Andrew Pantyukhin and posted on Twitter divided. The cited support document appears to have been last updated in February. explained Apple:
Note: A12, A13, S4 and S5 products released in fall 2020 will have a 2nd generation Secure Storage Component while earlier products based on these SoCs will use a 1st generation Secure Storage Component.
This means that the following products, which are not equipped with the latest A14 and S6 processors, now have the second generation of this component:
- HomePod mini – 2nd generation S5 processor and Secure Storage Component
- Apple Watch SE – S5 processor and 2nd generation Secure Storage component
- iPad (8th generation) – A12 processor and 2nd generation Secure Storage component
However, there are a few inconsistencies in Apple's support document that cause confusion. For example, no new device was introduced in fall 2020 that still has the A13 chip. So does the company have anything else in the pipeline?
Devices released in fall 2020 or later will come with a second-generation Secure Storage Component. The second-generation Secure Storage Component adds counter lockboxes. Each counter lockbox stores a 128-bit salt, a 128-bit passcode checker, an 8-bit counter, and an 8-bit maximum attempt value. The counter lockboxes are accessed using an encrypted and authenticated protocol.
Apple's support document therefore implies that products released before fall 2020 with these chips, even if they are still manufactured and sold by Apple, use the first-generation Secure Storage Component. This includes the iPhone XR and iPad mini 5, both of which are equipped with the A12, as well as the iPhone SE and iPhone 11, which are equipped with the A13. It does not look as if Apple has switched these products to the new Secure Storage Component. This means that newly produced devices will continue to be equipped with the first generation. Of course, it remains unclear how many units of these "older" devices Apple is still producing. Even if parts of this documentation seem a bit confusing, it makes sense that at least new products such as the HomePod mini, Apple Watch SE and the 8th generation iPad have the latest standard. (Photo by Photonphoto / Bigstockphoto)
