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Apple Quietly Introduced iPhone Reboot Code Which is Locking Out Cops (www.404media.co)

submitted 5 days ago by Stopthatgirl7@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

264 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Apple quietly introduced code into iOS 18.1 which reboots the device if it has not been unlocked for a period of time, reverting it to a state which improves the security of iPhones overall and is making it harder for police to break into the devices, according to multiple iPhone security experts.

On Thursday, 404 Media reported that law enforcement officials were freaking out that iPhones which had been stored for examination were mysteriously rebooting themselves. At the time the cause was unclear, with the officials only able to speculate why they were being locked out of the devices. Now a day later, the potential reason why is coming into view.

“Apple indeed added a feature called ‘inactivity reboot’ in iOS 18.1.,” Dr.-Ing. Jiska Classen, a research group leader at the Hasso Plattner Institute, tweeted after 404 Media published on Thursday along with screenshots that they presented as the relevant pieces of code.

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[–] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 51 points 5 days ago (2 children)

You can enable lockdown mode. It forces the next unlock to ignore biometrics and require a pin, which police cannot force you to divulge without a warrant. Once enabled, you get a "lockdown mode" option in the menu when you hold down your power button.

[–] Andromxda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 5 days ago

Although lockdown mode is a good step and helps defend against biometric warrents, it does not wipe the encryption keys from RAM. This can only be achieved by using a secondary (non-default) user profile on GrapheneOS, and triggering the End session feature. This fully removes the cryptographic secrets from memory, and requires the PIN or password to unlock, which is enforced through the StrongBox and Weaver API of the Titan M2 secure element in Pixel devices.

[–] gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 22 points 5 days ago (2 children)

If you haven't done this and need the same ability IMMEDIATELY: reboot, or just shut down

Every first boot requires pin same as lockdown

Also: set a nonstandard finger in a weird way as your finger unlock if you wanna use that, then theyre likely to fail to get that to work should you not manage to lock it down beforehand

Finally: there are apps that let you use alternate codes/finger unlocks to wipe/encrypt/reboot the device instead, allowing you to pretend to cooperate with the cops up until they realize they got played

[–] Crashumbc@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago (4 children)

IANAL, but I'd be very careful about wiping the phone like that. Sounds a lot like destruction of evidence...

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 0 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's not destruction of evidence though because without a warrant the information on the phone isn't evidence, it's just stuff on a phone. Stuff which is your stuff and you have every right to delete it whenever you want.

They would actually have to arrest you and acquire a warrant, try it to getting you to unlock the phone for it to be "evidence".

The police would have a very hard time in court saying that there was evidence on the phone when they can't produce any documentation to indicate they had any reason to believe this to be the case. Think about the exchange with the judge.

"Your honor this individual wiped their phone, thus destroying evidence"

"Very well, may I see the warrant?"

"Yeah... Er... Well about that..."

It doesn't matter what the police may think you have done, if they don't go via the process the case will be dismissed on a technicality. They hate doing that but they don't really have a choice.

[–] where_am_i@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

So many words to explain how you literally have no clue about how the law works.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 2 points 4 days ago

In what way am I wrong then?

[–] gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Gotta prove there was evidence on the phone in the first place, which would take forensic work to do and be not worth the work in the majority of cases

Plus it would annoy them, and that's the real goal here

[–] AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee 5 points 5 days ago

I imagine that would be one hell of a story to tell Bubba when they decide to lock you away for whatever false charges they can pin on you.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 7 points 5 days ago

When the cops are about to fuck you like this... Defending yourself is the priority lol wtf clown take is this.

[–] noxy@yiffit.net 3 points 4 days ago

sounds like the point

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 2 points 4 days ago

Also: set a nonstandard finger in a weird way as your finger unlock if you wanna use that

I actually do this. 3 wrong attempts and the phone requires a password.

I consider it a very light measure and not something to rely on alone, but it's a bit of a no-brainer for how easy and unobtrusive this is.