Hackers get access to Apple's upcoming iOS 14 nearly eight months ahead of its expected release after buying an iPhone 11 from a gray market in China with a test version of the operating system installed on it

• Hackers are celebrating what they called the earliest ever leak of an Apple iOS
• A full version of the operating system was discovered on a used iPhone 11 which developer's kit bought at a gray market in China 
• Apple is expected to unveil the official version of iOS 14 in June

While Apple hasn't officially unveiled iOS 14, hackers appear to have already had full access to it for several months.

A full leaked version of the upcoming operating system for iPhone and iPad appears to trace back to the China, where an anonymous individual purchased a developer's version of the iPhone 11 with a test version of iOS 14 installed on it.

The pre-release software quickly spread through hacker networks, and has driven a torrent of rumors and leaks about new features throughout the spring.

According to a report in Vice, the version obtained by the hacker is dated to December 2019, and was intended to be used only by app developers working on software for iPhone or iPad.

'It’s pre-release, lots could change, but it’s a trove of information,” Ryan Duff of cybersecurity firm SIXGEN, told Vice after reviewing a version of the leaked OS.

'I can’t say this will give an easy jailbreak or anything like that, but it’s way more information about an upcoming iOS than we ever see normally.'

According to 'Atomic F**,' a hacker who claims to have access to the files, this ranks as the earliest a major Apple operating system has ever leaked.  

According to Duff, the leaks are another example of the slow degradation of Apple's security procedures to guard upcoming releases.

'In recent times we have known almost everything about new models before they were even announced,' Duff said.

'This development build leaking is just another example of how Apple's security regarding leaks has deteriorated over time.'

Reached for comment by Vice, an anonymous Apple employee described the news as dispiriting.

'That sucks,' they said.

Throughout the spring, a number of new products or features related to iOS 14 have leaked, which could be linked to the code acquired from the Chinese vendors.

In March, leaked iOS 14 code pointed to the possibility that Apple is developing its first ever over-the-ear headphones as an optional upgrade to the company's ear buds.

In April, more leaked code suggested Apple was also working on trial versions of paid apps, which users would be able to unlock with QR codes or URL links.

Industry watchers expect Apple to fully reveal iOS 14 in full detail at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, scheduled to be held as a series of virtual streams starting on June 22, 2020.