FBI: 1 Apple:0. The iPhone has been cracked

[DoPo]

I mean, does anyone seriously have confidential data in their phone of all things, not a static computer, but a small device that is carried everywhere.

Yes. Any data I have not granted you, or anybody, access to is, by definition, not for you, or anybody, to have access to.

But is it information that the FBI would have actual use for?

Shifting the goalposts. Or not actually understanding the topic. I can't really tell. In either case, you're wrong.

 

[IceForce]

I mean, does anyone seriously have confidential data in their phone of all things, not a static computer, but a small device that is carried everywhere.

Yes. Any data I have not granted you, or anybody, access to is, by definition, not for you, or anybody, to have access to.

But is it information that the FBI would have actual use for?

The FBI aren't going to know this until they unlock/decrypt/hack the phone. So whatever point you're trying to make is moot.

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

Whenever I hear about the subject I think of Cartman yelling that people "invade ma' privacy" while twiterring every time he takes a shit. I mean, does anyone seriously have confidential data in their phone of all things, not a static computer, but a small device that is carried everywhere.

My Social, Credit Card Number, and numerous passwords could all easily be accessed through my phone given time. Those all are things I do not want others to have easy access to. Not to mention my job related emails which the government itself mandates I store in an encrypted manner since many contain private information.

So Apple did not jeopardize the security of their devices, which means they won.

I'm not sure I'd call this a win for Apple.

Sure, they didn't take any action to make their devices less secure than they already were.
However, if the FBI were able to crack the iPhone without them, then doesn't that mean they found an exploit to get into any existing Apple product they wanted to? Which would mean the Apple products are less secure than their consumer base assumed them to be.

So, at best, I'd say it was a wash for Apple, if not detrimental to them.

And, I highly doubt that the FBI would release the details about the exploit they're using as they wouldn't want Apple to patch it out.

However, there's how many locked iPhones sitting in evidence in New York? Is the FBI going to simply unlock them for the DA? How would that affect the chain of custody if the FBI doesn't release what their exploit was they used to unlock the iPhone?

This is assuming everyone is telling the truth here, which they likely aren't.

Of course.

I thought the FBI wanted to have an easier access method that could be used remotely or without replicating the hardware in extremely time consuming manners? All of which would greatly jeopardize the security of the device.

 

[Sic Transit Gloria]

I mean, does anyone seriously have confidential data in their phone of all things, not a static computer, but a small device that is carried everywhere.

Yes. Any data I have not granted you, or anybody, access to is, by definition, not for you, or anybody, to have access to.

But is it information that the FBI would have actual use for?

The FBI aren't going to know this until they unlock/decrypt/hack the phone. So whatever point you're trying to make is moot.

Not to mention that the ability to snoop EVERYWHERE without leaving a trace is the whole point. The entire "intelligence" infrastructure has turned into a giant data-sink. It's all about gathering, with the idea that somehow they'll finally discover an algorithm that doesn't just add more to noise to the overall picture.

 

[Leg End]

Whenever I hear about the subject I think of Cartman yelling that people "invade ma' privacy" while twiterring every time he takes a shit. I mean, does anyone seriously have confidential data in their phone of all things, not a static computer, but a small device that is carried everywhere.

Yes, especially if it is related to banking or any job involving something "secure". Phones these days are used for basically everything.

We know an Israeli firm

Well, /pol/ must be having fun today.

 

[kurokotetsu]

Indeed. An exploit in every system will be found. As such, this is not a loss for Apple, since they know there will always be exploits, and will probably continue to patch it in future versions. The problem was more a legal predcedent than a technical problem. All systems will have flaws, that is a given. A government agency forcing a standard backdoor as a legal precedent for a tech company is not something I like. Good that this was the resolution.

 

[Sic Transit Gloria]

Indeed. An exploit in every system will be found. As such, this is not a loss for Apple, since they know there will always be exploits, and will probably continue to patch it in future versions. The problem was more a legal predcedent than a technical problem. All systems will have flaws, that is a given. A government agency forcing a standard backdoor as a legal precedent for a tech company is not something I like. Good that this was the resolution.

For now. I'm sure this is a battle that will be fought in many arenas, in many forms, over many years. We have to stay pretty vigilant on this one.

Whenever I hear about the subject I think of Cartman yelling that people "invade ma' privacy" while twiterring every time he takes a shit. I mean, does anyone seriously have confidential data in their phone of all things, not a static computer, but a small device that is carried everywhere.

Yes, especially if it is related to banking or any job involving something "secure". Phones these days are used for basically everything.

We know an Israeli firm

Well, /pol/ must be having fun today.

Probably, while the truth is just that Israel is on the forefront of a lot of practical STEM applications.

 

[CaitSeith]

Well, it's official. The FBI managed to crack the iPhone without Apple's assistance, and has dropped the case in court, citing help from an independent party to do it

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35914195

John McAffee hasn't said anything yet, but some theorize he's the one who helped the FBI, because of his public proposal a few weeks early.

What do you think?

I think you got the score backwards. Apple was battling against cracking the iPhone themselves. The FBI cracking the iPhone without Apple's help was a victory for Apple.

 

[renegade7]

That's not really an FBI victory. The FBI wanted Apple to add a backdoor to all future iOS releases. This, of course, did not happen, and when it went to a Federal court the ruling was in Apple's favor. Instead the FBI used a reported exploit that they found on the internet, which is really what they should have just done in the first place.

 

[Christian Neihart]

Welp, we're fucked if they can repeat the process with every iPhone and Android phone out there.

 

[Ryotknife]

Isnt it a bit late in the game in terms of how useful this information will be? Anyone remotely associated with their terrorist attack has had months to make themselves scarce.

 

[Sixcess]

There is an Israeli company that was tapped apparently, not some random speed head.

I prefer to believe that not only did they get McAfee to do it but they've now made him an agent of the FBI.

Now he will team up with an uptight and by-the-book female partner to fight crime!

 

[Lunar Templar]

Considering they ...

Not sure exactly how this was an FBI win. The FBI wanted a one stop skeleton key that would unlock every Apple product ever made or to be made. What they got was a security exploit from a third party that will likely be found by Apple and fixed within months.

It's basically just a return to the status quo - Hackers, whether it be people looking for your credit card information and personal nudes, or governments looking for terrorist data, are hacking into phones, and electronics manufacturers continue to try and plug the inevitable security leaks. Sounds like a draw at worst, and a win for Apple at best.

right well ... all of that really.

The FBI didn't win anything here in the long run, unless they wanted to look worse to the public, and if that's the case, mission accomplished.

 

[Lunar Templar]

The FBI didn't win anything here in the long run, unless they wanted to look worse to the public, and if that's the case, mission accomplished.

Yeah but who cares enough to remember and do something about it?

Remember Edward Snowden? Remember how all the people got upset and forced major reforms on the NSA? You shouldn't because that didn't happen. People got angry and then forgot about it within a few months. Literally every single person I know, online and offline, who was siding with the FBI on this was upset about the NSA spying. A bunch of them earlier today were talking about how these assault charges against Trump's campaign manager is a conspiracy by the government, with one of them literally saying "do you trust the government?" just days after they said that Apple should be charged with treason for not giving the FBI a skeleton key. There are people out there who are little in the way of critical thought or memory, there's a lot of them and they vote.

and one of them is running for Presidency, with a really bad hair piece.

ether way, whether the 'ignorant masses' remember or not is just as irrelevant in the long run as what people think of the NSA or FBI. Like you said, people will forget, and probably in short order. All that really matters, is, for now at least, they didn't get the back door into people iPhone's that they wanted.

 

[Disco Biscuit]

The FBI didn't win anything here in the long run, unless they wanted to look worse to the public, and if that's the case, mission accomplished.

Yeah but who cares enough to remember and do something about it?

Remember Edward Snowden? Remember how all the people got upset and forced major reforms on the NSA? You shouldn't because that didn't happen. People got angry and then forgot about it within a few months. Literally every single person I know, online and offline, who was siding with the FBI on this was upset about the NSA spying. A bunch of them earlier today were talking about how these assault charges against Trump's campaign manager is a conspiracy by the government, with one of them literally saying "do you trust the government?" just days after they said that Apple should be charged with treason for not giving the FBI a skeleton key. There are people out there who are little in the way of critical thought or memory, there's a lot of them and they vote.

and one of them is running for Presidency, with a really bad hair piece.

ether way, whether the 'ignorant masses' remember or not is just as irrelevant in the long run as what people think of the NSA or FBI. Like you said, people will forget, and probably in short order. All that really matters, is, for now at least, they didn't get the back door into people iPhone's that they wanted.

Or rather, that they didn't get the legal precedent to compel the creation of a backdoor. This actual phone and its technology were never the issue.

 

[Sampler]

I don't see how this is a win for Apple as many point out.

They weren't asked to make a generic backdoor, they were asked to adjust one phone to gain access - now the FBI have managed to use an exploit on that phone, doesn't it follow that all iPhones are potentially exploitable in the same method (because I highly doubt the FBI's exploit used a custom firmware signed to run on just that phone), so Apple security is not security but theatre and reassurance? Who can trust an iDevice when the creator says "that's not possible" and, now proven it's possible have proved themselves in the dark about how their own devices work.

I know I wouldn't trust one. They've made such a big deal of it it's like they're screaming at everyone to look how they've managed to shoot themselves in the foot..

 

[JaKandDaxter]

I don't see how this is a win for Apple as many point out.

They weren't asked to make a generic backdoor, they were asked to adjust one phone to gain access - now the FBI have managed to use an exploit on that phone, doesn't it follow that all iPhones are potentially exploitable in the same method (because I highly doubt the FBI's exploit used a custom firmware signed to run on just that phone), so Apple security is not security but theatre and reassurance? Who can trust an iDevice when the creator says "that's not possible" and, now proven it's possible have proved themselves in the dark about how their own devices work.

I know I wouldn't trust one. They've made such a big deal of it it's like they're screaming at everyone to look how they've managed to shoot themselves in the foot..

Well you are quite spot on brother. Whatever the FBI used, it exposed a vulnerability that will be applicable to other Apple devices with the same firmware. Or at least for the iPhone 5c model. And I'm pretty sure the FBI is not in a rush to tell Apple any weaknesses in their software.

Not when they can use that same loophole to solve other criminal cases. And I have read testimonies of detectives having criminal cases on hold, because they have stacks of smartphones they can't access for incriminating information.

 

[RedRockRun]

Does anyone else think the FBI could have cracked the phone from day 1 and were just trying to get the back door firmware as a freebie?

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

They did this to set a legal precedent so other companies would have to comply in the future.

I'm inclined to agree. Precedent is king in American courts, and I think that in the San Bernardino attack, the FBI saw a golden opportunity to score free entry into any system or software they wanted. Apple's continued resistance and the outcry from (much of) the public may have made the FBI decide to drop the case lest they get a precedent established against them, and now suddenly they've managed to break the phone's protections without Apple's help after all.