Apple Quietly Introduced iPhone Reboot Code Which is Locking Out Cops - eviltoast

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.

  • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    5 days ago

    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
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      5 days ago

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

      • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        5 days ago

        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

        • Dizzy Devil Ducky@lemm.ee
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          4 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
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        4 days ago

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

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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        4 days ago

        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.

    • EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com
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      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.