Hacker Team Claims Compromise of Apple's iCloud and Activation Lock, Possibly via SSL Bug [Updated]

MacRumors · May 21, 2014

A pair of hackers from the Netherlands and Morocco, identifying themselves as AquaXetine and MerrukTechnolog, claim to have compromised the security of Apple's iCloud system for locking iOS devices.

The hack will unlock stolen iPhones by bypassing Activation Lock, making it possible for thieves to resell the phones easily on the black market, reports Dutch publication De Telegraaf [Google Translate]. It also may provide hackers with access to Apple ID passwords and other personal information stored in Apple's iCloud service.

The hackers reportedly worked on the vulnerability for five months, studying the transmission of data between iPhone handsets and Apple's iCloud services. The pair claim to be able to unlock a locked iPhone by placing a computer between the iPhone and Apple's servers. In this configuration, the iPhone mistakenly identifies the hacker's computer as one of Apple's servers and follows instructions provided by the nefarious computer to reverse activation lock on the handset.

While the hackers did not reveal precise information on how their intercepting computer can spoof Apple's iCloud activation servers, it appears that they may be taking advantage of an SSL bug that is present in iTunes for Windows, as noted by iPhone in Canada, who spoke to security researcher Mark Loman about the issue. The previously disclosed issue was fixed in iOS 7.0.6 and OS X 10.9.2, but it appears that iTunes for Windows is still affected.

After looking into some claims of the jailbreak community, Mark Loman decided to do some investigating of his own and made a shocking discovery. SSL has two tasks: one, to verify communication with the intended server; and two, to prevent manipulation.

"The problem is with verifying the certificate. Apple appears to have deliberately left out this essential step required for proper secure communication. They fixed it last month for iOS but forgot to fix it for iTunes. But the jailbreak community is already making use of it -- which is how I figured it out."

The vulnerability reportedly allows hackers to intercept Apple ID credentials, which can then be used to unlock iOS devices that have been locked after having been lost or stolen.

Actually, the data IS encrypted. But when an attacker strips SSL during a so-called man-in-the-middle attack the AppleID account name and password can be extracted as they are sent in plain text inside SSL, Mark Loman said in an email sent to iPhone in Canada.

Using this technique, the hackers claim to have unlocked 30,000 iPhones in the past few days. The group allegedly contacted Apple about this vulnerability in March, but Apple never responded, prompting the hackers to go public with the information.

Update 10:43 AM: One of the hackers has denied that the bypass involves an SSL bug.

Article Link: Hacker Team Claims Compromise of Apple's iCloud and Activation Lock, Possibly via SSL Bug [Updated]

crossifixio · May 21, 2014

Damn that would be bad!

Sky Blue · May 21, 2014

"The group allegedly contacted Apple about this vulnerability in March, but Apple never responded, prompting the hackers to go public with the information."

lol, Apple

stiligFox · May 21, 2014

I imagine this will be solved with a simple iOS update and a change of Apple's server.

That being said -- on a similar topic - Now that Activation Lock exists, it is astonishing to me the sheer amount of iCloud locked iPhones on eBay that are pretty much only good for parts/trash. On the one hand, yes it might keep phones in the owners possession, but on the other hand, it creates a lot of garbage that will end up in the landfill.

Possibly even more surprising to me is that people are paying almost full price for these locked phones

Yvan256 · May 21, 2014

The group allegedly contacted Apple about this vulnerability in March, but Apple never responded, prompting the hackers to go public with the information.

In my opinion, that's the proper way to do it.

Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the problem.
Give them some time to fix it.
If they haven't fixed it after a few months, go public to force them to react.

keysofanxiety · May 21, 2014

stiligFox said:
I imagine this will be solved with a simple iOS update and a change of Apple's server.

That being said -- on a similar topic - Now that Activation Lock exists, it is astonishing to me the sheer amount of iCloud locked iPhones on eBay that are pretty much only good for parts/trash. On the one hand, yes it might keep phones in the owners possession, but on the other hand, it creates a lot of garbage that will end up in the landfill.

Possibly even more surprising to me is that people are paying almost full price for these locked phones

Yep. Locked phone = stolen phone.

Crosscreek · May 21, 2014

The NSA knew this all along.

stiligFox · May 21, 2014

keysofanxiety said:
Yep. Locked phone = stolen phone.

Not 100% of the time -- I've seen phones where the original owner forgot to unlock the phone before selling it, but Apple doesn't provide a way to contact/email the original owner

But aye, they are mostly stolen.

Stella · May 21, 2014

Yvan256 said:
In my opinion, that's the proper way to do it.

Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the problem.

Give them some time to fix it.

If they haven't fixed it after a few months, go public to force them to react.

They did, in March. Still not fixed.

fumi2014 · May 21, 2014

These billion dollar companies really need to stay on top of all this. They're happy to take your money but not so quick to safeguard your details.

And now there's trouble at eBay.

ehmjay · May 21, 2014

Annnnnnd cue the tech press over-reacting and blowing this way out of proportion.

Not that this isn't a serious flaw; it is. But because it's Apple it will be presented as the end of the world, and covered by every major news outlet where-as a similar bug in Android is barely mentioned by anyone at all.

CosmoFox · May 21, 2014

So they wasted 5 months of work so Apple can patch it in a week? I don't see the point

2010mini · May 21, 2014

They claimed they unlocked 30,000 iPhones??? I'm to believe that many iPhones' activation lock was bypassed and the internet community was not ablazed with that info???

Shrink · May 21, 2014

Crosscreek said:
The NSA new this all along.

Source, please.

2984839 · May 21, 2014

CosmoFox said:
So they wasted 5 months of work so Apple can patch it in a week? I don't see the point

Apple didn't patch it in a week. They haven't done a thing about it since March. The point is to get Apple to secure their products, and publicly releasing vulnerabilities is the only way to do that.

WildCowboy · May 21, 2014

Yvan256 said:
In my opinion, that's the proper way to do it.

Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the problem.

Give them some time to fix it.

If they haven't fixed it after a few months, go public to force them to react.

There is, however, a difference between simply going public with the info and exploiting the issue to unlock 30,000 locked phones as they claim to have done.

McGrath1982 · May 21, 2014

First eBay now Apple

2013 13" MBP iPad Air iPhone 5s

2984839 · May 21, 2014

WildCowboy said:
There is, however, a difference between simply going public with the info and exploiting the issue to unlock 30,000 locked phones as they claim to have done.

It puts more pressure on Apple to get a fix rolled out and prevents them from passing it off as a theoretical attack.

Millah · May 21, 2014

Stella said:
They did, in March. Still not fixed.

So anyone can claim anything they want and people instantly believe them without a shadow of doubt? When did the public become so easily gullible?

I'm not saying its not true. I'm saying none of us know. Just because some hackers claim something doesn't make it true. And how exactly are they trustworthy to begin with? These are people hacking into places they shouldn't be, unlocking stolen phones, and you don't even have a sliver of doubt about their honesty?

2984839 · May 21, 2014

Millah said:
So anyone can claim anything they want and people instantly believe them without a shadow of doubt? When did the public become so easily gullible?

I'm not saying its not true. I'm saying none of us know. Just because some hackers claim something doesn't make it true. And how exactly are they trustworthy to begin with? These are people hacking into places they shouldn't be, and they're 100% trustworthy?

The fact that they're exploiting the vulnerability means they're pretty trustworthy when they say there is one.

Stella · May 21, 2014

Millah said:
So anyone can claim anything they want and people instantly believe them without a shadow of doubt? When did the public become so easily gullible?

I'm not saying its not true. I'm saying none of us know. Just because some hackers claim something doesn't make it true. And how exactly are they trustworthy to begin with? These are people hacking into places they shouldn't be, and they're 100% trustworthy?

Chill.
Don't take it as a personal attack on yourself.

deadshift · May 21, 2014

CosmoFox said:
So they wasted 5 months of work so Apple can patch it in a week? I don't see the point

clearly you don't understand security. If a lock is pickable, you get a better lock. This was a discovery that a lock was able to be bypassed. So Apple can and should build a better lock, even if it's only 5 minutes worth of work.

Yeah, it smells of SSL GoToFail and Man-in-the-middle. A bummer of a time SSL has had lately.

Thunderhawks · May 21, 2014

556fmjoe said:
Apple didn't patch it in a week. They haven't done a thing about it since March. The point is to get Apple to secure their products, and publicly releasing vulnerabilities is the only way to do that.

How would you know that they haven't done a thing about it?

Obviously they will not broadcast anything when things like that happen.

And, fixes are not really pulled out off a drawer.

Analysis, testing etc. has to happen first. That takes time.

But..........................

dumastudetto · May 21, 2014

Anyone who claims Apple doesn't take security of its products and services seriously, and doesn't care passionately about protecting our personal information - put simply they don't know Apple. There is no company on earth who has a better track record in this arena than Apple.

Michaelgtrusa · May 21, 2014

More time than they can handle.

Hacker Team Claims Compromise of Apple's iCloud and Activation Lock, Possibly via SSL Bug [Updated]

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