Apple Secure Enclave

Discussions center on Apple's Secure Enclave hardware component, its role in protecting encryption keys from extraction by Apple, the OS, or authorities, and debates about its security effectiveness against backdoors or warrants.

📉 Falling 0.4x Security
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e.g CPU TL NUC apple.com MacBooks PIN BAA mikeash.com UI enclave secure apple keys pin key stored keychain password fingerprint

Sample Comments

kbolino • Feb 21, 2025 • View on HN

The keys are stored only in the Secure Enclave. Encryption and decryption are handled outside the standard CPU and OS. This is hardware-level protection, not just some flag on a cloud account to be flipped. The only way for Apple to break this system is to break it for everyone, since anything else would risk bleed over or insufficient compliance.

Kluggy • Mar 22, 2024 • View on HN

Isn't that the entire point of the secure enclave[1]?https://support.apple.com/guide/security/secure-enclave-sec5...

ma2rten • Sep 28, 2017 • View on HN

This document has more information on the Secure Enclave.https://www.apple.com/business/docs/iOS_Security_Guide.pdf

keepquestioning • Oct 27, 2022 • View on HN

Apple has Secure Enclave. Who knows what that's doing.

kbolino • Feb 22, 2025 • View on HN

The hardware will not allow this, at least not without modifications. The encryption keys are not exportable from the Secure Enclave, not even to Apple's own servers.

walterbell • Jun 27, 2020 • View on HN

Could this be possible on iOS devices, which also have a secure enclave?

some_guy_there • Feb 17, 2016 • View on HN

Wouldn't Apple (or the manufacturer) know the key of the security enclave?

vlod • Feb 22, 2016 • View on HN

Not sure if 100% applies to the iPhone in question, but the secure enclave was designed to prevent this sort of thing. Here's an intro to it:https://www.mikeash.com/pyblog/friday-qa-2016-02-19-what-is-...

mastazi • May 5, 2023 • View on HN

Some devices e.g. Apple have a Secure Enclave that is not user accessible, that's what I'm referring to, I'm not suggesting that they are stored on a server.

positr0n • Jun 8, 2024 • View on HN

Yep: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/certifica...