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

submitted 4 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 days ago (2 children)

You don't understand how propaganda works. An this is what this is...

There a huge shillop about unlocking some terrorist phone long time ago... FBI asked and Apple refused when FBI used celebrite or whatever in reality.

Gave bonuses false sense of security. This smells the same IMHO.

Happy to be wrong but I don't trust apple.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They got in the phone anyways, Apple just told the FBI to pound sand if they don't have a court order... Why would they put man hours towards decreasing their reputation if they don't have to? They're probably not even geared to break into their own devices. Then their PR team ran with it while one of many companies with the capability to crack the phone took a paycheck

This is different - this is genuine security, even if easily bypassed with preparation beforehand. Honestly, I credit some random apple dev who may have been looking to fix a bug related to long uptime as easily as they might've cared about security. I don't think this was even on the radar of Apple leadership

This isn't some moral superiority on Apple's part, but it is good practice

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

My thesis is that GrapheneOS has this feature for a long time as part of the security approach.. Apple who love shilling how great they but hey are following a Foss Android project as 3t mega corp.

I find it comical

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

I don't see the humor in it...I mean, mega corps can't innovate, all they ever do is copy or acquire. It's because even if they acquire a working rockstar team, they're categorically unable to just write them paychecks and let them cook until they have something

It's absurd, but it's too predictable for me to find it funny. What's even more absurd is how little mega corps watch the small teams for ideas

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I understand how "propaganda" works and ultimately realize that Apple included such a feature for good publicity so the normal people of the world who don't know what a Mulvad or a Tails is, but are still privacy concerned, would go out and shill 1,000$+ for their phones-- I get it. I ain't saying you don't have to be distrustful.

I still think it's a bit silly to look for problems in what is ultimately a good thing, anyways. I didn't forget about Apple's letter-of-the-law following of the DMA, I didn't forget about Apple suing Samsung for "rectangle with button", I didn't even forget about Apple reversing course on scanning everyone's iCloud photos for CSAM-- that last part which was genuinely privacy concerning. I'm still gonna go out of my way to say "i like this" so Apple and other companies continue to at the very least virtue signal for protecting their consumers against an over-reaching & often times distrustful law enforcement.