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Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

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Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#31
post #28
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe the FBI should concentrate their efforts on finding that someone and asking them what the password is.

I would assume they have found that person. It's curious that anyone took it upon themselves to initiate the password reset without authority, but I'd bet they have simply forgotten what they changed it to.

> It's curious that anyone took it upon themselves to initiate the password reset without authority

The phone is critical evidence, according to the FBI and the legal actions around this phone. If the phone's password was changed after the crime without authority the person who did this would have been charged with tampering with evidence.

> I'd bet they have simply forgotten what they changed it to.

What possible reasoning are you using to conclude that a government employee changing the password of a phone after it was known the phone was used by a terrorist would have "simply forgotten what they changed it to"?

Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#32
post #24

Is there a reason Apple can't take apart the phone and access the hard drive directly? Maybe put the hard drive on a dev board of sorts. AFAIK, most cell-phones have dev board versions that the mfg's engineers use to test various component hardware revisions no?. There they can access it through root? I might be missing something here. It would be hilarious if after all this, they find nothing on the phone. GENIUS!

User data stored on an iPhone is encrypted using a key derived from the passcode, so somehow taking apart the NAND chips would not help a bit.

Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#33
post #28
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe the FBI should concentrate their efforts on finding that someone and asking them what the password is.

I would assume they have found that person. It's curious that anyone took it upon themselves to initiate the password reset without authority, but I'd bet they have simply forgotten what they changed it to.

If that's the case, it sounds like the FBI are being very careless with evidence and passwords to suspects' phones, even in very high profile cases.

If they can't keep passwords secure, they aren't going to be able to keep this backdoored iOS version secure either.

Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#35
What's strange is that they're investigating two international terrorists who committed mass murder and all they're talking about is their fucking iPhone?

What if after all this drama and forcing everyone to install backdoors and disable encryption they find out that they used it only to play Clash of Clans and take pictures of food?

Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#36
post #25
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, but how does this confirm that? It sounds to me as though someone screwed up by changing the password rather than it being intentionally changed so they could request that Apple build an iOS with a backdoor.

Maybe the FBI should concentrate their efforts on finding that someone and asking them what the password is.

[deleted]

Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#37
What's preventing Apple from reverting things on the backend to 'undo' the password change and allow the next authentication and backup attempt by the phone to work? Apart from unless the phone has been restarted in which case the FS is still encrypted so the backup wouldn't yet be possible until at least after the first unlock.

Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#38

What's preventing Apple from reverting things on the backend to 'undo' the password change and allow the next authentication and backup attempt by the phone to work? Apart from unless the phone has been restarted in which case the FS is still encrypted so the backup wouldn't yet be possible until at least after the first unlock.

Maybe they don't store previous passwords?

Edit: or are you suggesting iCloud be programmed to accept any password for this account?

Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#39
Most important point in the article (to me, anyway):

"The government says the access being sought could only be used on this one phone, but Apple's executives noted that there is widespread interest in an iPhone backdoor, noting that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Thursday that his office has 175 Apple devices he'd like cracked."

Re: Terrorist’s Apple ID Password Changed In Government Custody, Blocking Access

#40

What's strange is that they're investigating two international terrorists who committed mass murder and all they're talking about is their fucking iPhone? What if after all this drama and forcing everyone to install backdoors and disable encryption they find out that they used it only to play Clash of Clans and take pictures of food?

Then it's mission accomplished, because the door's been wedged open.
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