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Leaked documents from Cellebrite, an Israeli company specialising in data forensics, show that the company could not unlock many latest iPhones including the iPhone 12 and newer models, running iOS versions 17.4 or above. The documents also reveal limitations in accessing high-profile Android devices like Google Pixel 6, 7, and 8 when turned off.
The leaked documents, titled “Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix” and “Cellebrite Android Support Matrix,” were obtained by 404Media from an anonymous source linked to a Cellebrite customer. These documents offer detailed insights into the specific models and operating system versions Cellebrites tools can access.
According to the documents, Cellebrite’s tools struggle with unlocking iPhones running on iOS 17.4 or newer, with these models marked as “In Research.” However, for iPhones running on iOS versions from 17.1 to 17.3.1, Cellebrite has managed to support models like the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 series using its Supersonic BF (Brute Force) capability.
Notably, support for iPhone 12 and later models under these versions is still under “Coming Soon.” Cellebrite cannot unlock these models and is still researching them.
This gap in Cellebrite’s capabilities reveals that the company can only unlock the iPhone 11, a model released almost five years back in 2019. Meanwhile, Apple’s data from June 2024 shows that 77% of all iPhones, and 87% of those introduced in the last four years, are running iOS 17, which Cellebrite couldn’t break.
The document also provided information about Cellebrite’s performance with Android devices. Although Cellebrite is compatible with most Android models, it faces challenges with certain prominent devices. For example, it cannot perform brute force on a powered-off Google Pixel 6, 7, or 8.
The leaks come following the FBI’s recent disclosure that they gained access to the smartphone belonging to Thomas Matthew Crooks, the primary suspect in the alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
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