Apple has unveiled a groundbreaking security feature for its newly launched iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models, aiming to make spyware attacks significantly harder to carry out. The feature, called Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE), was introduced alongside the company’s latest product releases this week.

MIE is designed to combat memory corruption bugs—one of the most common vulnerabilities exploited by spyware makers and forensic tools used by law enforcement agencies. By targeting this long-standing weak point, Apple says the feature will reduce the effectiveness of remote and physical hacks that have historically plagued mobile devices.

According to Apple, “mercenary spyware chains targeting iOS, Windows, and Android systems all rely heavily on memory safety vulnerabilities.” The company claims MIE is a direct defense against such threats.

Cybersecurity researchers suggest the move could make the iPhone 17 the most secure internet-connected device to date. One security expert with experience in developing zero-day exploits for government use told TechCrunch, “The iPhone 17 is probably now the most secure computing environment on the planet that is still connected to the internet. It’s not hack proof—but it’s the closest thing we have.”

The technology behind MIE builds on Arm’s Memory Tagging Extension (MTE), but Apple has refined it into what it calls Enhanced Memory Tagging Extension (EMTE). This system assigns a unique “tag” to each portion of a device’s memory, allowing only authorized apps to access it. Any mismatch triggers a crash and logs the event—making it easier for defenders to detect attacks.

Researchers believe this will significantly raise both the cost and time required for spyware vendors to develop working exploits. Jiska Classen, a professor at Germany’s Hasso Plattner Institute, noted that existing spyware tools may lose effectiveness once the new iPhones roll out. “I could imagine a window of time where mercenary spyware vendors don’t have working exploits for the iPhone 17,” she said.

Patrick Wardle, a well-known Apple-focused cybersecurity expert, added: “This will make life infinitely more difficult for spyware developers. Of course, it’s always a cat-and-mouse game, but this raises the stakes.”

The feature will be enabled by default on Apple’s system apps such as Safari and iMessage, both common entry points for spyware. However, third-party app developers will need to integrate MIE protections themselves. Apple has already released tools to help developers adopt EMTE into their applications.

Despite its strengths, experts caution that MIE is not a silver bullet. Matthias Frielingsdorf, vice president of research at iVerify, explained: “MIE is a good step forward and will push attackers to work harder, but as long as there’s demand for spyware, there will always be sellers.”

In short, Apple’s MIE represents a major leap forward in mobile device security, potentially reshaping the spyware market. While attackers may eventually adapt, the balance of power—for now—has shifted in Apple’s favor.

Source: Techcrunch