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FBI Director Says Unlocking Method Won't Work On Newer iPhones (cnn.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the narrow-slice dept.

Even though the FBI was able to gain access to the San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone without Apple's help, the Apple-FBI saga continues. It was reported yesterday the FBI is telling members of Congress of the methods used to break into the iPhone 5c. The most recent tidbit comes from FBI Director James Comey in regard to how many iPhones are at risk from the unlock tool.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNN: FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday that the government had purchased "a tool" from a private party in order to unlock the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. "Litigation between the government and Apple over the San Bernardino phone has ended, because the government has purchased, from a private party, a way to get into that phone, 5c, running iOS 9," Comey said. The FBI director also said the purchased tool worked only on a "narrow slice of phones" that does not include the newest Apple models, or the 5s.

9 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. WE PROMISE by axewolf · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know we would never lie to you....

    You KNOW that

    1. Re:WE PROMISE by diesalesmandie · · Score: 5, Informative

      You know we would never lie to you....

      You KNOW that

      Its been said numerous times that the iphone 5c is less secure than the more recent models, they could be telling the truth. Sounds more like they are setting themselves up to have another legal battle against apple. The US government cant even protect their own data yet they want direct access to private communications of US citizens. To me that just says they just want more control.

      --
      This is my sig, there are many like it but this one is mine
  2. motivations.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "The people we bought this from, I know a fair amount about them, and I have a high degree of confidence that they are very good at protecting it, and their motivations align with ours," he said.

    So their motivations are the systematic destruction of Americans' civil rights?

  3. Anti Circumvention Laws by Layzej · · Score: 5, Interesting

    FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday that the government had purchased "a tool" from a private party in order to unlock the iPhone

    I wonder how that squares with 17 U.S.C. Sec. 1201 of the DMCA which prohibits the distribution of tools that enable a user to circumvent access controls.

  4. A private party? by CRCulver · · Score: 4, Funny

    FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday that the government had purchased "a tool" from a private party...

    I'm sure that John McAfee has already spent all the money on bath salts.

  5. It is allowed by (e) and (j) by raymorris · · Score: 5, Informative

    It is not a violation to test the security, if you don't then use the results of the test to infringe copyright:

    (2) Permissible acts of security testing. â" Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), it is not a violation of that subsection for a person to engage in an act of security testing ...

    It is also not illegal if done by or for the government:
    (e) Law Enforcement, Intelligence, and Other Government Activities. â" This section does not prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, information security, or intelligence activity of an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or a person acting pursuant to a contract with the United States ...

  6. Re: Was he under oath? by TheReaperD · · Score: 3, Insightful

    He's doing part of his job. The parts of his job he is conveniently ignoring is upholding the Constitution and the civil liberties of US citizens.

    --
    "Be particularly skeptical when presented with evidence confirming what you already believe." -
  7. That's why I quoted (j) for you by raymorris · · Score: 4, Informative

    That's where (j) comes into play. That says it's NOT illegal to examine the security and build tools to break IF you don't then either use or market the tool for copyright violation under the act.

    It ends up being like (Constitutional) gun law - using a gun in the commission of a felony is a separate crime, but having a gun is lawful if you don't use it for another crime. Similarly, building a hack tool intended for copyright infringement is illegal, but the tool is not illegal if there's no infringement, actual or intended.

    Ps - whenever I post what the law is, people get mad at me, arguing that shouldn't be the law. I didn't write the law, I just read it.

  8. Pps: I write hack tools for a living, so I pay att by raymorris · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Ps, at work my team is Vulnerability Assessment > Tools. My official job title is Vulnerability Assessment Engineer. Basically, I write hack tools for a living, so the law on the subject is a tad important for me. This is something I pay attention to.

    On the other hand, it's illegal for me to possess slim jims REGARDLESS of intent, since the locksmith licensing laws changed where I live. I should have taken advantage of the grace period after the law was enacted to get my locksmith license.