Cellebrite, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sun Corporation operating out of Israel, develops data extraction, transfer, and analysis devices for mobile devices. They recently release an upgraded version of their Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) product which they claim can now hack Apple devices running on recent iOS versions. Predominately used for law enforcement officials, the device can carry out a complete file system extract using sophisticated algorithms on nearly all iOS devices along with Android phones made by Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, LG, and Xiaomi. Other features allow for third-party access to app data, chats, email, and other data. The worry with this device is that it could fall into the wrong hands and put the near 1.4 billion iOS users at risk. Cellebrite’s tools have previously been seen for sale on eBay, making them easy to obtain by anybody.
Analyst Notes
Users are recommended to stay up-to-date with the latest versions of iOS, which would make it more difficult for unauthorized parties to gain access to their device. Users can also activate the erase data feature which prompts the OS to wipe all data after 10 failed passcode attempts, essentially leaving the device useless.
