The leading digital forensics firm Cellebrite, which gained fame for giving law enforcement agencies and the police tools to crack into Apple smartphone devices is currently facing hardships with new iPhone models.
Thanks to a new report by media outlet 404 Media, a series of leaked documents reveal how the company is having trouble entering newer iPhone models that use iOS 17 on the system. More details revealed how the papers called Super Matrix shed light on a long summary report featuring both iPhones and Android phones that can be cracked using Cellebrite’s latest array of tools.
As per one paper, all the iPhone devices that run iOS 17.4 and beyond couldn’t be cracked by any of the tools provided by the company.
For those featuring older iOS versions, several devices including iPhones XS, XR, and 11 models would be cracked into by force using the gadgets Cellebrite supplied. With modern and secure iOS 17, it’s no longer the case, the document mentioned.
But that does not mean the company is giving up anytime soon. It’s working hard to develop more support for other iPhone models including 12, 13, and 14 generations. The only catch is that they need to be on certain iOS 17 software updates. Those including iOS 17.4 and the new iPhone 15 cannot be broken into by force as their support tools are under study and a solution is much further than the rest.
Meanwhile, another document has shed light on the specifics related to Android that displays which phones could be entered into and which ones have data extracted by the company’s kits. Amongst the most recently launched Google Pixel lineups including 6, 7, and 8 - no user data could be extracted when the phones are powered off. But other than that, the company could crack nearly all Android smartphones including the latest S24 Galaxy series and those going up to Android 14.
The public unveiling of which Apple and Android phones are liable to get cracked arrives at a time when the FBI personally confirmed the news of accessing data on the smartphone of Trump’s would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks. This was a few days after he was able to fire bullets into the crowd and at the former US president, leading to Trump getting injured while another rally attendee was killed.
While the FBI failed to delineate which phone the shooter had and which tools were used, many experts predict it was done through tools offered by Cellebrite.
Image: DIW-Aigen
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Thanks to a new report by media outlet 404 Media, a series of leaked documents reveal how the company is having trouble entering newer iPhone models that use iOS 17 on the system. More details revealed how the papers called Super Matrix shed light on a long summary report featuring both iPhones and Android phones that can be cracked using Cellebrite’s latest array of tools.
As per one paper, all the iPhone devices that run iOS 17.4 and beyond couldn’t be cracked by any of the tools provided by the company.
For those featuring older iOS versions, several devices including iPhones XS, XR, and 11 models would be cracked into by force using the gadgets Cellebrite supplied. With modern and secure iOS 17, it’s no longer the case, the document mentioned.
But that does not mean the company is giving up anytime soon. It’s working hard to develop more support for other iPhone models including 12, 13, and 14 generations. The only catch is that they need to be on certain iOS 17 software updates. Those including iOS 17.4 and the new iPhone 15 cannot be broken into by force as their support tools are under study and a solution is much further than the rest.
Meanwhile, another document has shed light on the specifics related to Android that displays which phones could be entered into and which ones have data extracted by the company’s kits. Amongst the most recently launched Google Pixel lineups including 6, 7, and 8 - no user data could be extracted when the phones are powered off. But other than that, the company could crack nearly all Android smartphones including the latest S24 Galaxy series and those going up to Android 14.
The public unveiling of which Apple and Android phones are liable to get cracked arrives at a time when the FBI personally confirmed the news of accessing data on the smartphone of Trump’s would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks. This was a few days after he was able to fire bullets into the crowd and at the former US president, leading to Trump getting injured while another rally attendee was killed.
While the FBI failed to delineate which phone the shooter had and which tools were used, many experts predict it was done through tools offered by Cellebrite.
Read next: Bytedance Loses Appeal Against EU Categorization Of Being A Digital Gatekeeper
