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iOS 11.4.1's New code Cracking Prevention Feature Can Be Byed: ElcomSoft

iOS 11.4.1's New code Cracking Prevention Feature Can Be Byed: ElcomSoft 4z2j1k

By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 10 July 2018 13:12 IST

Highlights

Researchers have discovered a loophole in USB Restricted Mode
The new mode comes through a USB Accessories toggle on iOS 11.4.1
An untrusted USB accessory can reset the one-hour counter

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While iOS 12 and iOS 11.4.1 last month. b3ct

The team of researchers at ElcomSoft have Apple device was locked, a USB accessory won't be able to communicate with your device. However, as Oleg Afonin of ElcomSoft has highlighted, the feature is of no use if a USB accessory is already connected to your hardware. This prevents the USB Restricted Mode lock from turning after the one-hour timer. The resetting of the built-in feature works even with an untrusted USB accessory, one that has never been paired with the device before. "What we discovered is that iOS will reset the USB Restrictive Mode countdown timer even if one connects the iPhone to an untrusted USB accessory, one that has never been paired to the iPhone before (well, in fact, the accessories do not require pairing at all). In other words, once the police officer seizes an iPhone, he or she would need to immediately connect that iPhone to a compatible USB accessory to prevent USB Restricted Mode lock after one hour," Afonin writes in a blog post while explaining the loophole.

It has been seen that the lock doesn't get affected with Apple Lightning to 3.5mm jack adapter, though the one-hour countdown was reset through the official Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter. "According to our tests, this effectively disables USB Restricted Mode countdown timer, and allows safely transporting the seized device to the lab," claims Afonin. The researcher also underlined that with the release of iOS 11.4.1, the procedure of "properly seizing and transporting" an iPhone could include a compatible Lightning accessory. "Prior to iOS 11.4.1, isolating the iPhone inside a Faraday bag and connecting it to a battery pack would be enough to safely transport it to the lab," he concludes.

While Apple might fix the flaw in the next iOS 11.4 release or in the iOS 12, Afonin doesn't consider it as a severe vulnerability and calls it an "oversight." However, this doesn't mean that the USB connectivity with an Apple device is entirely safe. Law enforcement and private companies could leverage the loophole and design new hardware to continue to crack codes through the Lightning port.

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