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Cellebrite touts upgraded tool that hacks Android and iOS devices

Cellebrite touts upgraded tool that hacks Android and iOS devices
  • A new version of a tool released by the forensic company claims to hack Apple devices including those running iOS 12.3.
  • In addition, the tool is also reported to pull data from some premium Android devices manufactured by Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, LG, and Xiaomi.

Israel-based forensic company Cellebrite has announced a new version of its product that claims to hack Apple devices such as iPhones and iPads. Known as UFED Premium, this tool is an upgrade to an application known as Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED). It can unlock and extract data from Apple devices running recent versions of iOS, including 12.3. Furthermore, UFED Premium also claims to pull data from premium Android devices.

Key highlights

  • On its website, Cellebrite says that this forensic tool for law enforcement agencies can unlock and extract phone evidence from ‘all iOS and high-end Android devices.’
  • UFED Premium is reported to perform a full file system extraction on almost any iOS device, as well as on some of the premium Android smartphones manufactured by Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, LG, and Xiaomi.
  • The tool’s features also include access to third-party app data, chats, emails and many more.
  • Cellebrite mentions that the tool uses sophisticated algorithms for unlocking iOS devices.

Boon for forensic investigators

Sarah Edwards, a forensic researcher at the SANS Institute told WIRED that the tool can be helpful in analyzing newer devices. “This will allow investigators access to newer and updated devices that they didn’t have access to before,” she told.

Worth noting

With 1.4 billion active iOS devices in the world, this tool can be misused if it falls into the hands of cybercriminals. Though such tools aid investigations for law enforcement agencies, they can increase attack risks and provide attackers a significant chance of hacking popular devices. An example of this is the well-known incident of Cellebrite’s tools being sold on eBay.

Cyware Publisher

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Cyware