Apple has persistently pushed forward to ensure that its devices, particularly iPhones, are tough to crack, even when stressed by well-established companies such as Cellebrite, an Israeli digital intelligence entity that specializes in tools designed to unlock smartphones. Thanks to information revealed in leaked documents, iPhones running iOS 17.4 or higher cannot be unlocked by Cellebrite. Given that iOS 18 was recently previewed at Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote, it is likely that the majority of iPhone owners have installed some version of iOS 17.
Documents also reveal that Cellebrite cannot brute-force its way into most Android phones, showing that Google’s phone platform is also improving
For those who do not know, Cellebrite makes kits whose sole purpose is to break into locked smartphones to access their personal data and sell to law enforcement and other companies that the security firm believes will use the equipment within the boundaries of the law. It does this by discovering vulnerabilities in both iOS and Android, which Apple and Google eventually find and fix. Unfortunately, as discovered by 404 Media, the Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or higher.
As you would expect, a massive percentage of current and older-generation iPhones are running iOS 17.4, with MacRumors reporting that Apple’s own data from June 2024 reveals that 77 percent of all iPhones are running some version of iOS 17. The leaked documents also state that Cellebrite recently added support for the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 lineup running iOS 17.1 to iOS 17.3.1. However, for the iPhone 12 series running the same iOS version, Cellebrite’s status currently reads ‘Coming soon.’
However, it is not just becoming increasingly difficult to break into iPhones but also Android smartphones, with additional information stating that the firm is finding it tough to penetrate the security of Google’s Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 while being powered off. While it is commendable that Apple is headstrong in making its iPhones excruciatingly painful to break into, Cellebrite is also keeping pace with the technology giant’s lofty security ambitions, but that gap has yet to be significantly bridged. With the iPhone 16 launch, we should see that disparity increase.
News Source: 404 Media
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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