Calif group demonstrates iPhone 18 Pro jailbreak bypassing Lockdown Mode

The research group Calif has demonstrated a jailbreak on the iPhone 18 Pro that successfully bypasses Apple’s Lockdown Mode. In a video shared on social media, the group showed that the exploit remains active even after the device undergoes an update to iOS 27.2.

The demonstration involved a user accepting a malicious PDF file sent via AirDrop. Once the file was opened, the Calif branding appeared within the system interface, and the device subsequently installed the iOS update. Despite the update, the jailbreak persisted, appearing on the software update screen.

Apple’s Lockdown Mode is designed as an extreme security measure to protect users against sophisticated mercenary spyware by disabling various features, such as most message attachments and certain web technologies. Prior to this demonstration, Apple had stated it was unaware of any successful attacks against an iPhone while Lockdown Mode was active.