iPhone 16, iPhone 15 models’ USB-C ports can be hacked, security researcher claims

Security researcher Thomas Roth has discovered a vulnerability in the Apple iPhone's USB-C controller, known as the ACE3.

Imagine your iPhone's user data falling into the wrong hands just by plugging it into a foreign USB port for charging or other purposes. Quite unsettling, isn’t it? The key factor here is the USB port, as Apple transitioned to USB-C with the iPhone 15 series. Along with this change, they introduced a new USB-C controller, the ACE3. This powerful custom chipset does more than just manage power delivery—it’s a full microcontroller capable of running the entire USB stack. Notably, it is a more advanced version of previous USB-C controllers, namely the ACE2 and ACE models, which also power MacBooks.

Apple switched to USB-C with the iPhone 15 series. (Bloomberg)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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However, security researcher Thomas Roth has uncovered a vulnerability within this chip. Roth discovered that the ACE3 chip can be compromised using a combination of reverse engineering, RF side-channel analysis, and electromagnetic fault injection. This breach could allow an attacker to take control of the device, bypassing all security measures in place.

iPhone USB-C controller breached: What we know

Thomas Roth was reportedly able to reprogramme the controller, inject code, and bypass all security checks. This means that if hackers manage to exploit this vulnerability, they could gain access to your iPhone and potentially your user data, which of course, is a concerning situation. However, there are factors that may limit this from happening. The main limitation is the fact that hackers would need physical access to your device using USB-C cables, which is quite difficult to achieve.

That being said, Apple has yet to respond to these claims.

In the meantime, here’s how you can stay safe

As a general rule of thumb, always think twice before plugging your iPhone or any device into a USB port, especially in public places like cafes. You never know the intentions of a certain individual. To avoid this, always carry a power bank to charge your smartphone in case of an emergency. Also, never transfer data on foreign computers.

By following these measures, you can be assured that no hacker would be able to gain physical access to your device, as this particular exploit targeting the ACE3 USB-C controller requires physical contact with your iPhone. If you prevent this, you can stay safe.