$170 device cracks iPhone passcodes in 6 seconds to 17 hours

posted by Alan F. / Apr 04, 2016, 2:14 PM

$170 device cracks iPhone passcodes in 6 seconds to 17 hours

Amid all of the current talk about whether government law enforcement agencies should be able to legally force Apple to unlock an iPhone in order to look for evidence, there is a machine available now that will find the four-digit passcode used to lock down an iPhone. And this device costs only $170 at London's Fone Fun Shop.

Fone Fun Shop director Mark Strachan says that this machine was developed to help iPhone owners get to their photos or contacts in a locked iPhone with a forgotten passcode. Discovered in Hong Kong, Strachan says that they were at first skeptical that the device would work. But over time, the tool has proven itself over and over again.

The so-called IP-BOX will work on iPhones running iOS 7 and older. It takes 6 seconds to 17 hours hours to crack the four-digit passcode. The Daily Mail purchased the device and cracked the code on an Apple iPhone 5c in 6 hours. A version that will work on iPhones running iOS 9 will be available later this month.

Strachan says that he believes that the IP-BOX uses the same method employed by the FBI to unlock the iPhone 5c used by Syed Farook, without Apple's help. The FBI is now offering to help other law enforcement agencies seeking to unlock an iPhone, iPad or Apple iPod touch. Apple is trying to discover how the FBI unlocked the phone so that it can issue a software update to close the vulnerability.

$170 tool will unlock an iPhone

Thanks for the tip!

source: FoneFunShop via DailyMail

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47 Comments

2. bassembm

Posts: 143; Member since: Dec 27, 2015

Pure security "INNOVATION"

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:19 PM 0

16. nctx77

Posts: 2540; Member since: Sep 03, 2013

The problem is that by the time any of this happens, most people would have remote whipped the phone via find my iPhone. Also, if the phone is on, it can be tracked. It's still more secure than a credit card/debit card or any other device for that matter.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:39 PM 3

21. Narcoteca

Posts: 5; Member since: Apr 01, 2016

Not when you are underr arrest or death by police or fbi

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:49 PM 0

23. engineer-1701d unregistered

tracked to a limited distance and take sim out done.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:57 PM 0

39. ph00ny

Posts: 2074; Member since: May 26, 2011

Not if they're in a faraday bag with all external connections blocked off.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 5:58 PM 0

27. bucky

Posts: 3797; Member since: Sep 30, 2009

"iOS 7" good thing iOS users get updates on time huh?

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 4:04 PM 2

51. Nopers unregistered

Note that it says any 4 digit passcode. I'm sure 6 digit passcodes would be a very different story.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 8:27 PM 0

4. PhoneCritic

Posts: 1382; Member since: Oct 05, 2011

Nothing is unbreakable,if someone wants it bad enough they will get it.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:21 PM 5

5. Unordinary unregistered

Sad but true. Good thing Samsung and Apple have software AND hardware encryption now, all of Android (except Samsung). Also good thing that iOS9 adoption rate is very high now. Good luck breaking into iOS 9, FBI.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:22 PM 2

6. Nopers unregistered

I think it was iOS 7 and below, the 5C was running iOS 7.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:24 PM 1

41. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

the one farook use is running iOS9

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 6:46 PM 2

47. Nopers unregistered

Source please.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 8:18 PM 0

48. Nopers unregistered

Ah right I got confused, I thought the FBI used this to unlock the phone, apparently they used the same method however you can't purchase a machine that unlocks iOS 9 yet...

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 8:22 PM 0

7. tedkord

Posts: 17512; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Nothing. Period.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:25 PM 1

10. Unordinary unregistered

Learn to read Mr butt hurt. I said good thing. I didn't say "except Samsung and Apple". Typical Tedturd comment

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:26 PM 2

11. Unordinary unregistered

Edit: unlike* all of Android.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:27 PM 0

13. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

The article says, one for iOS9 will be available very soon. So you're wrong! So it looks liek the device is somehow using all combinations of 4 numbers until the phone unlocks. Not very scientific, its just a computer can do all the numbers faster than a human hand. I mean with 4 digits we are talking roughly 10,000 combinations. Someone with quick hands could do them all within a couple days, if they didn't have to worry about the phone being permanently locked or wiped as the latest IOS version does. I assume the FBI were too dumb to know what version of iOS the phone was running? Apple could have just unlocked that phone and gave it to them, and still stood up for not making a special OS so that the Feds have a backdoor for every iPhone.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:30 PM 2

17. nctx77

Posts: 2540; Member since: Sep 03, 2013

If Apple had given them access, you would have been the first person on here writing a novel trashing Apple.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:41 PM 2

55. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

False. Because I stated in the original article that I supported Apple not giving the feds a backdoor that would allow them accesd to every iPhone on the planet. You are a fool. You are stupid and you can't read. In fact I repeated more than once in the original article when this all went down. http://www.phonearena.com/news/Cook-says-software-being-requested-by-court-does-not-presently-exist_id78427 POST#49 - This is what I said and you can go back and read it, but I will quote it here too, so I can show you up in front of your cronie friends on how stupid and wrong you are. You know nothign about me, you should really shutup: "9. TechieXP1969 (Posts: 6779; Member since: 25 Sep 2013) I support Apple 100% on this move. Mostly because the USA Government is just a bunch of bullies. When you use the same laws to get something done by them, they won't do it. But then they want something they want to try to use the laws against you.. If I was Tim Cook I'd just come out and just say what I feel. Screw in this case being professional. I would just tell the Judge and the FBI to kiss my @$$. After all what's the worse they can do? Arrest Apple? Try to close the company down and wreck the economy some more like they already have? Also, I thought the NSA or whoever already had access to metadata? That isnt enough? The guy plead guilty to charges. He is never gettign out of prison. As far as who his friends are? or people he did talk too? It's none of the Governments business. Could those people he know be terrorist? Yep. In fact they already know who they are. After all many terrorist organizations were created by the USA. ISIS was an organization created by the US and so were many others. Bush was friends with the Bin Laden family, so he is a terrorist too. After all, are they not by law guilty by association? I dont see one bush in jail. I wish I could be in Tim Cook shoes..I send out to the media a huge poster with a hand with the middle finger raised." What we dont know as a fact is, if the phone actually does contain the info the Feds think. I think under said circumstances, Apple could have just unlocked this phone. However, the problem is once they do, then they open it up for laws to be made that even in petty crimes situations, cops will want access to peoples phones even on something as simple as a traffic stop. My phone is locked with a passcode, my fingerprint and is encrypted. I will never volunteer to unlock my phone for any reason, even if I did commit a crime. I wouldnt even use a fingerprint if Samsung Pay didnt require it on the phone before you can use Samsung Pay. I would use other locking methods to insure no one could put me to sleep and then use my fingers to unlock my device while knocked-out. I dont believe the Feds, because how was the password on the phone changed, when the Farook was already dead. I am against a Gov't OS that would allow access too all iPhones.

posted on Apr 05, 2016, 10:00 AM 0

18. nctx77

Posts: 2540; Member since: Sep 03, 2013

What about 9.3.2 or iOS 10?

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:44 PM 0

20. Unordinary unregistered

iOS9 by default is 6 digits. As for the rest of your terrible writing, I didn't read.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 2:49 PM 7

42. AlikMalix unregistered

My first iPhone the 3G had options to delete after 10 wrong tries - not "latest iOS". Another half truth from techie!!! It also increased wait time to unlock after 3 tries and the wait time kept increasing after that by the time you're in your 6th try - you'll be waiting an hour for next time. Apple vs fbi want about unlocking that phone it was about fbi thinking they're tsars and can tell anyone innocent or not what to do l. It was the principle of the matter - don't be bossing around companies to do your bidding. Government should not have that control over the enterprise - or we're all in for a horrible ride when government controls everything and everyone. The last point is just a jab at you -- There's no "roughly" 10,000 it's as simple as first grade math = 9999 different combinations.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 8:04 PM 0

56. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

So me saying 10,000 combinations wasn't wrong and I never said it was exact. I said "roughly" ingrate. You look stupid trying to correct me simply because I was off by one. Also, even though my iPad Mini has iOS 9, it for my kid and we don't lock it because it only has games. Its already activation locked to my Apple account so I saw no need to lock it any other way.

posted on Apr 05, 2016, 10:06 AM 0

59. g2a5b0e unregistered

Don't call someone out when you're wrong yourself, Alik. There's exactly 10,000 combinations, not 9,999. 0001-9999 is 9,999 combinations & 0000 makes 10,000. First grade math, right? Yeah. Not exactly.

posted on Apr 06, 2016, 12:26 AM 0

28. Finalflash

Posts: 4063; Member since: Jul 23, 2013

They did break into iOS 9 though. Plus the article itself states that the iOS 9 box is coming this month.

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 4:05 PM 4

31. Wiencon

Posts: 2278; Member since: Aug 06, 2014

Proof

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 4:20 PM 3

34. Unordinary unregistered

Incoming article he will link by www.TheOnion.com

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 4:24 PM 0

54. AlikMalix unregistered

Where does it show that feds broke in? that the company they "hired" actually was capable to break in? and what's stopping apple from patching that hole IF it exists within the next update, which if they do, would be available world wide nearly on 90% of all ios users. Regardless, whether the government did in fact got their data - Which again I doubt they broke in, but took the device apart, separated the memory, cloned it or something and got the data, its not really breaking into an iphone is it? The hardest part is to gain possession of the device and hope it's not wiped remotely the moment they turn it on... What matters is that Apple did not budge from that position even after the government started playing dirty and revoked some of the patents (which is still arguably happened because apple didnt want to play ball).. They did not budge!!! Android on the other hand: dont get me started! There are hackers that can activate an android phone, easedrop on your conversations, activate your camera remotely...even wipe your data and even if Google makes a patch - fat chance more than 3% will get it in next 6 months at the least.. http://wishtv.com/2015/07/28/android-flaw-could-allow-hackers-to-turn-on-camera-wipe-device/ I would worry about security holes like that instead if the government can disassemble your phone apart to get data...

posted on Apr 04, 2016, 10:51 PM 0

35. MyJobSux

Posts: 106; Member since: Apr 01, 2012

Re-read the story. The feds got into the phone running iOS 9.x. It happened. This article says its likely a similar method was used on the phone the feds have.