Apple’s new Memory Integrity Enforcement system in iPhone 17 aims to block zero-day exploits targeting crypto wallets and Passkey signing operations.
Apple’s latest iPhone 17 introduces a new layer of defense for crypto users with hardware-level memory protections that aim to prevent common attack vectors used to hijack signing operations.
At the core of this upgrade is Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE), a feature enabled by default that uses Enhanced Memory Tagging Extension (EMTE)-style memory tagging to detect and block dangerous memory access types like out-of-bounds and use-after-free errors.
According to cybersecurity firm Hacken, the new MIE system “meaningfully” reduces the risk of attackers using memory-corruption zero-days to take control of signing code. “It’s a real plus for crypto users, especially high-net-worth or frequent signers,” Hacken told Cointelegraph.

