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Israeli firm can steal phone data in seconds

phys.org

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Re: Israeli firm can steal phone data in seconds

#61

Post by eridius »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #38
r00fus wrote: post #35

You'd think if they could crack the latest iPhone/iOS they'd crow about it. The article seems to paint it as a "we're confident we could" - which seems bizarrely vague. Why would they do that when they claim they can crack an LG G4 wide open?

From the article: > Ben-Peretz remains confident his company can crack even the newest iPhones.

The next line in the article:

> iOS devices have strong security mechanisms that give us a challenge, but if anyone can address this challenge and provide a solution to law enforcement, it is Cellebrite," he said, referring to Apple's operating system.

This makes it sounds like Cellebrite actually cannot currently crack the latest phones running iOS 10, but the CEO is merely expressing his belief that they'll figure out how to do it. See how he's not saying "we can do it", but instead he's saying "if anyone can do it, it's going to be us".

Re: Israeli firm can steal phone data in seconds

#62

Post by sqeaky »

ronreiter wrote: post #55
sqeaky wrote: post #27

Does encryption defeat this? If not how are they getting the key from memory? Does encryption defeat this when the device is off? If not what flaws exist in the encryption schemes?

Encryption could help but eventually exploits can beat anything.

Exploits are just ways to leverage those flaws. We have systems with no flaws for some older tech. Eventually we will fix this one too.

Re: Israeli firm can steal phone data in seconds

#63

Post by Steko »

wahsd wrote: post #42
turc1656 wrote: post #2

"But privacy and rights activists worry such powerful technology can wind up in the wrong hands, leading to abuses." Am I to believe that this firm is the right hands? Or government? Please...all hands are the wrong hands. These vulnerabilities need to be closed. I wouldn't be surprised if the NSA or some other government tentacle was paying them not to make whatever they found known. Gee, I sound paranoid. What am I…

You highlight a kind of social disconnect among a segment of the population that are kind of eternal liberal optimist loyalists that have no problem trusting their parent, the government with any and all sorts of individual rights. It is precisely why some people simply cannot look through or past the notion that the government could somehow not be a benevolent parent that only has our best interest in mind and are t…

People don't favor gun control because they're eternal optimists about the government's benevolence, that is a ridiculous straw man. Generally people favor gun control because -- to use the same language -- they are not eternal optimists about the benevolence of their fellow citizens who sometimes murder large groups of innocents.

Re: Israeli firm can steal phone data in seconds

#64

Post by JumpCrisscross »

ronreiter wrote: post #54
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #39

Does anyone track the quantity of U.S. tax dollars which go to such firms?

It's a profitable company. It doesn't need US money. If your government needs to hack a phone that belongs to a terrorist to protect innocent US citizens then what's the problem? Oh, you're an antisemite. Sorry, missed that.

> Oh, you're an antisemite. Sorry, missed that.

What? I'm opposed to using U.S. tax dollars to contravene the security of U.S.-designed, manufactured and used devices and operating systems. I don't care if it's the FBI [1], a Canadian company [2] or the Israelis.

It's shitty that you devolve your rhetoric so quickly. This is the most disturbing exchange I've ever had on this forum.

> If your government needs to hack a phone that belongs to a terrorist to protect innocent US citizens then what's the problem?

Americans are innocent until proven guilty. If our government determines guilt without following due process, they (and those who aid and abet them) may be the ones acting illegally.

[1] https://www.cnet.com/news/fbi-v-apple-we-dont-need-your-ipho...

[2] http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/blackberry-taps-user-messa...

Re: Israeli firm can steal phone data in seconds

#66

Post by na85 »

wahsd wrote: post #42
turc1656 wrote: post #2

"But privacy and rights activists worry such powerful technology can wind up in the wrong hands, leading to abuses." Am I to believe that this firm is the right hands? Or government? Please...all hands are the wrong hands. These vulnerabilities need to be closed. I wouldn't be surprised if the NSA or some other government tentacle was paying them not to make whatever they found known. Gee, I sound paranoid. What am I…

You highlight a kind of social disconnect among a segment of the population that are kind of eternal liberal optimist loyalists that have no problem trusting their parent, the government with any and all sorts of individual rights. It is precisely why some people simply cannot look through or past the notion that the government could somehow not be a benevolent parent that only has our best interest in mind and are t…

The tone and word choice in this post throws into stark relief the enormity of what you don't understand about left-leaning people.

Re: Israeli firm can steal phone data in seconds

#69

Post by bobbob1 »

libeclipse wrote: post #18

I wonder if they can crack devices that haven't been booted. Many of the newer smartphones encrypt data and require a password on boot.

Forensics have pretty strict rules. One of the assumptions and limitations is that the phone will be off. However, they're not that good in all cases. As I mentioned in my original comment, brand new phones , (and usually older versions 1 year old ones), would suffice.

The worst things Cellebrite tries to keep off hands the "evil" people (those who are already paying them enough money), will get access to the zero-days I referred to in my original reply.

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