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Israel-Based Vendor Cellebrite Can Unlock Every iPhone, including the Current-Gen iPhone X, That's On the Market: Forbes (forbes.com)
Cellebrite, an Israel-based company, knows of ways to unlock every iPhone that's on the market, right up to the iPhone X, Forbes reported on Monday, citing sources. From the report: Cellebrite, a Petah Tikva, Israel-based vendor that's become the U.S. government's company of choice when it comes to unlocking mobile devices, is this month telling customers its engineers currently have the ability to get around the security of devices running iOS 11 . That includes the iPhone X, a model that Forbes has learned was successfully raided for data by the Department for Homeland Security back in November 2017, most likely with Cellebrite technology.
The Israeli firm, a subsidiary of Japan's Sun Corporation, hasn't made any major public announcement about its new iOS capabilities. But Forbes was told by sources (who asked to remain anonymous as they weren't authorized to talk on the matter) that in the last few months the company has developed undisclosed techniques to get into iOS 11 and is advertising them to law enforcement and private forensics folk across the globe. Indeed, the company's literature for its Advanced Unlocking and Extraction Services offering now notes the company can break the security of "Apple iOS devices and operating systems, including iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, iPad Pro and iPod touch, running iOS 5 to iOS 11." Separately, a source in the police forensics community told Forbes he'd been told by Cellebrite it could unlock the iPhone 8. He believed the same was most probably true for the iPhone X, as security across both of Apple's newest devices worked in much the same way.
The Israeli firm, a subsidiary of Japan's Sun Corporation, hasn't made any major public announcement about its new iOS capabilities. But Forbes was told by sources (who asked to remain anonymous as they weren't authorized to talk on the matter) that in the last few months the company has developed undisclosed techniques to get into iOS 11 and is advertising them to law enforcement and private forensics folk across the globe. Indeed, the company's literature for its Advanced Unlocking and Extraction Services offering now notes the company can break the security of "Apple iOS devices and operating systems, including iPhone, iPad, iPad mini, iPad Pro and iPod touch, running iOS 5 to iOS 11." Separately, a source in the police forensics community told Forbes he'd been told by Cellebrite it could unlock the iPhone 8. He believed the same was most probably true for the iPhone X, as security across both of Apple's newest devices worked in much the same way.
>. I'd like to think that if the intelligence agencies devoted their time and effort to helping companies identify security weaknesses and shore them up, we wouldn't be seeing massive data breaches every few months.
That sounds nice, but it really wouldn't matter. Note "the intelligence agencies" can't hack iPhones, it's a private company that can. The people a the intelligence agencies really aren't that smart. It's nothing AT ALL like the movies. It's people who got a certificate in cyber security but couldn't get a job in the private sector, which pays better (but expects you to know wtf you're doing). You think Google wastes a lot of time talking about PC bullshit? You should see government! Government doesn't hire the best people. They hire the "disadvantaged" people.
Many, many private companies are in the business of "helping companies identify security weaknesses and shore them up". Heck you can get services from companies like Alert Logic for tens of dollars per month; does your company have static analysis and daily scans?
I'd like to think that if the intelligence agencies devoted their time and effort to helping companies identify security weaknesses and shore them up, we wouldn't be seeing massive data breaches every few months.
You would like to think that but lets make no bones about it. The intelligence and LEA agencies are here for one purpose only. Keeping those in power, in power. Doesn't matter if they deserve it or not. They may operate under the guise of "protecting the country" but when it comes right down to it, its the same thing as keep those in power in power.
I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
Normally I'd agree with you over msmash, but not after having gone through Israeli security at one of the smaller regional airports (SDV). I've seen/had them use the tools on me. I had an Indonesian visa in my passport among others, and a very old photo with long hair. I guess I set off some red flags.
At security they confiscated my iPhone 6, which had the boarding pass pulled up in my email app. When I got it back it was the last email I sent to my father. For whatever reason they couldn't also use the tools to get in to my iPad 2 (with the old connector, in a short amount of time), and made me unlock it as well as prove the camera and microphone both worked.
I made the flight. Actually a much earlier flight because no one noticed or pointed out I accidentally booked for 7:30 PM instead of AM (they are on 24 hour time though). All around kind of unsettling and just another odd, one off travel story. The whole thing happened in under a half an hour and I was on my way despite panicking over missing the flight. It's anecdotal and I'm not presenting it as anything other than my personal experience, but it left quite the impression on me.