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Leaked Docs Show What Phones Cellebrite Can and Can't Unlock (404media.co) 41
Cellebrite, the well-known mobile forensics company, was unable to unlock a sizable chunk of modern iPhones available on the market as of April 2024, 404 Media reported Wednesday, citing leaked documents it obtained. From the report: Mobile forensics companies typically do not release details on what specific models their tools can or cannot penetrate, instead using vague terms in marketing materials. The documents obtained by 404 Media, which are given to customers but not published publicly, show how fluid and fast moving the success, or failure, of mobile forensic tools can be, and highlights the constant cat and mouse game between hardware and operating manufacturers like Apple and Google, and the hacking companies looking for vulnerabilities to exploit.
[...] For all locked iPhones able to run 17.4 or newer, the Cellebrite document says "In Research," meaning they cannot necessarily be unlocked with Cellebrite's tools. For previous iterations of iOS 17, stretching from 17.1 to 17.3.1, Cellebrite says it does support the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 series. Specifically, the document says Cellebrite recently added support to those models for its Supersonic BF [brute force] capability, which claims to gain access to phones quickly. But for the iPhone 12 and up running those operating systems, Cellebrite says support is "Coming soon."
[...] For all locked iPhones able to run 17.4 or newer, the Cellebrite document says "In Research," meaning they cannot necessarily be unlocked with Cellebrite's tools. For previous iterations of iOS 17, stretching from 17.1 to 17.3.1, Cellebrite says it does support the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 series. Specifically, the document says Cellebrite recently added support to those models for its Supersonic BF [brute force] capability, which claims to gain access to phones quickly. But for the iPhone 12 and up running those operating systems, Cellebrite says support is "Coming soon."
Still remember: Do not trust your phone (Score:2, Interesting)
Regardless of brand, OS and version. For example, a primary reason for a removable battery is to be able to reliably (!) switch a phone off.
Re: Still remember: Do not trust your phone (Score:4, Interesting)
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The vulnerabilities have nothing to do with Google apps, not having those won't help you. It's mostly down to the phone's firmware, the bootloader and the way it stores the encryption keys for the flash memory.
Modern versions of Android have a system where the OS is encrypted with one key so that the phone can boot up, and then another key is required to unlock the user's data files. The keys are normally stored in a secure part of the phone's SoC, which also contains the CPU and various peripherals.
So eith
Re: Still remember: Do not trust your phone (Score:1)
Re: Still remember: Do not trust your phone (Score:1)
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Because they are saying that if the phone is booted up and was initially unlocked, they can get into some versions of the OS that way, even if they can't get past the firmware. On the other hand, if they can't get into the OS, they may be able to hack the firmware.
Re: Still remember: Do not trust your phone (Score:1)
Paywall (Score:1, Informative)
Linkers of paywalls go to Pound-Me-In-The-Ass-Federal-Prison
Re:Paywall (Score:5, Informative)
https://archive.is/qgBWB [archive.is]
Physical access to the hardware (Score:2)
Once you have physical access to the hardware, getting in becomes far easier.
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Does Apple fix the flaws? (Score:2)
Does Apple fix (or try to fix) any security flaws that allow these devices to get into their phones?
Re:Does Apple fix the flaws (Score:4, Informative)
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Why do you think these docs are only public when leaked? They go out of their way to not let Apple know about the security flaws that pays their bills.
Also that would be very clearly why 17.4 is currently not unlockable.
Re: Does Apple fix the flaws? (Score:1)
Re: Does Apple fix the flaws? (Score:4, Insightful)
Unintentional would be: Apple dev finds a bug and fixes it, without thinking too much about the consequences of the bug. Itâ(TM)s wrong, so you fix it. Or: Thereâ(TM)s a bug that allows changing memory location X, and changing X is an attack vector. Some random code change leaves the bug, but it now changes location Y, which is harmless. Y might be inside a decoded image so all you get is some pixels incorrect, while X was inside an undecoded image and exploits a bug in the decoder.
Doubt this applies to their Premium Service (Score:4, Interesting)
The cloud based "Premium Service" probably costs a lot more and I find it very hard to believe that they would be relying on checkm8 for that. In all likelihood they have some 0-days lined up for customers willing to pay. As the article also says
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nearly all of today’s mobile devices, including the latest iOS and Android versions
Very weasely wording. They could mean nearly all of the latest iOS and Android versions rather than just nearly all of the hardware.
Re: Doubt this applies to their Premium Service (Score:1)
It's a trap! (Score:1)
There's no phone they can't unlock. There's always some trick, some vulnerability, and it's just a matter of having a determined hacker work on the device for long enough. This is just a ruse to give criminals and terrorists a false sense of security.
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This is just a ruse to give criminals and terrorists a false sense of security.
And us, too.
Re:It's a trap! (Score:4, Informative)
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Cost of exploit is an excellent barrier.
That said, unless your battery died Feds can just go to Apple and say "how does your liveliness detection work" and use the biometric unlock.
Joke's on them, my phone doesn't even lock (Score:2)
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I pay for Proton email since I got fiber internet, and that's E2EE, but I don't even consider that to be secure.
If I want 'secure communications' I'll have a F2F conversation with someone, but considering that I'm not an intelligence operative or a criminal, there's very little I ever have to discuss with anyone that's so sensitive I'd worry about being surveilled.
Also what makes you think your smartphone is in any way shape or form secure, regardless of what 'app' you use? Your phone com
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Which just means that's not where your secrets are stored. Either you have to hide your paper really well or you are using some other electronic device.
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Congratulations!!
I only pay $12.50/month to use my phone.
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How is this not a DMCA violation? (Score:2)
Even as a foreigner, if I sold a tool to decrypt a commercial encryption scheme to Americans I'd be violating the DMCA right? Is what they are doing specifically exempt or are they just getting away with it because the government chooses to turn a blind eye? Why do I risk jail for hacking my tractor but they can legally break into a strangers phone?
Re: How is this not a DMCA violation? (Score:2)
The unabomber claimed that publishing his blackmail letters (to catch him) was copyright violation. Which was basically admitting guilt, because only the copyright holder can sue.
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Better link (Score:3)
https://superchargednews.com/2... [superchargednews.com]
No email signup nonsense to read.
But tldr: iOS 17.4+ or Pixel 6/7/8.
Great wording (Score:3)
But they cannot hack iPhone 12 and newer. Thatâ(TM)s four complete generations. I assume there is hardware in an iPhone 11 that they can attack and that apple cannot fix for less than the price of an iPhone 12 on eBay.
Android differences? (Score:2)
Since they are all running the same basic Android versions, I'd LOVE to know what the diferences are.