Apple Secretly Had a 'Double Agent' in the iPhone Leaker Community

[MacRumors]

For more than a year, a member of the iPhone leaks and jailbreaking community was actually serving as a "double agent" for Apple by secretly providing the company with information about other leakers, according to Motherboard.

The report claims that Andrey Shumeyko, who was known as "YRH04E" online, advertised internal Apple information and stolen devices for sale on platforms like Twitter and Discord. However, unbeknownst to other members of the community, the report adds that he was secretly providing Apple's Global Security team with information that could help the company crack down on leaks and the individuals responsible for them.

In May 2020, after a pre-release version of iOS 14 was leaked online, the report claims Shumeyko provided Apple with information about an individual who allegedly helped "orchestrate" the leak by purchasing a stolen iPhone 11. The prototype device was allegedly loaded with an early development build of iOS 14 intended for internal use by Apple employees, prior to the software being announced at WWDC in June 2020.

Shumeyko added that, in the summer of 2020, he informed Apple that he had been in contact with an Apple employee in Germany who worked on Apple Maps. The employee was allegedly offering to sell access to an internal Apple account used to access corporate emails and other internal materials on Apple's intraweb. Shumeyko said that he kept in touch with the employee and later learned that he had been fired by Apple.

Shumeyko said that by serving as an informant for Apple, he hoped he would be able to redeem himself for being a former participant in the iPhone leaks community, and he also hoped there would be a financial incentive for his cooperation. Shumeyko said he repeatedly asked if it would be possible for him to be paid for his information, but Apple was apparently noncommittal, and he is now speaking out after feeling taken advantage of.

"I just wanted to be heard for once, and the story I tell to be truthful," Shumeyko said, according to the report, adding that he does not care what anyone will think of him now that his role as a "double agent" has been revealed.

Article Link: Apple Secretly Had a 'Double Agent' in the iPhone Leaker Community

 

[dantracht]

Wow. All that's missing from this story was how James Bond saved the day.

 

[smartbot]

It's amazing to see what extend Apple will go to protect it's products from being leaked! I would love to see their budget for "security"...

 

[robotica]

It’s got to be Rene Ritchie

 

[majurg]

Sold out the little guys for nothing, how shameful

 

[sunapple]

Coming October 10th on Apple TV+

 

[MauiPa]

Brilliant! The leakers got leaked! Karmas a cruel lady. But seriously this guy selling internal emails is that guy in jail yet?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Sounds like some detective work. But, what is Apple going to do with Jon Processor?

This is like Hitman stuff. Apple needs it's own Law Enforcement team and hire some detectives.

 

[ersan191]

It's amazing to see what extend Apple will go to protect it's products from being leaked! I would love to see their budget for "security"...

Apple didn’t do anything here, headline reader.

 

[JosephAW]

Sooooo Motherboard is leaking this information from Apple?

 

[kildraik]

Uh oh… I’m sure everybody’s boots are shaking now!

 

[fwmireault]

I love that story! It makes you wonder if any of the actual leakers works for Apple too

 

[swingerofbirch]

I used to say Apple reminded me of Scientology with their secrecy.

Still does.

Both terribly paranoid and neither has anything of value worth keeping secret. Well Apple used to.

I mean after the car thing turned out to be a dud and you can see how bad they've gotten at just iterative software, they could rumor a spaceship and it wouldn't matter. Have they done anything unpredictable in years? The most exciting thing they do is ship software updates that cause HomePods to catch on fire.

It's now more like General Electric Rumors.

 

[ZzapDK]

The leaker turned leaker and is now leaking the final leak

 

[Jarman74]

Not a fan of this shady, back-alley maneuvering. Customers expect better from Apple.

 

[5105973]

Stinking snitch …crime does NOT pay and neither does Apple, apparently. Sheesh Apple, at least give the guy a silicone case for his trouble.

Disclaimer: I’m strictly tongue in cheek here. I actually have no opinion on this at all. Not my circus, not my monkeys. Numerous elements of this story did make me chuckle, though. Like “I want to clear my conscience but some coin would be nice. Khajiit doesn’t give wares for free, after all.”

 

[Capeto]

It's amazing to see what extend Apple will go to protect it's products from being leaked! I would love to see their budget for "security"...

Apparently it's nonexistent.

 

[Minxy]

Wow, a lot to unpack.
So he was previously a leaker, but not an Apple employee? And he was helping Apple but it/Tim was too indignant to pay him thus eliminating this useful info source and now alerting leakers to a method to catch them.

And he was acting as a buyer because there are Apple employees who actively go out to leak to get paid? Honestly, in the West I thought the people were just doing it because they want to make Mark Gurman & Jon Prosser feel proud of them.

 

[jz0309]

Is this really a surprise?

 

[AF_APPLETALK]

I love that story! It makes you wonder if any of the actual leakers works for Apple too

I’m sure.

They like to play with us. Almost certainly employees from their PR department come on to this forum to fight and psy-op us into things like not including a charger or whatever.

 

[RONS67]

What was the cost to Apple of his past leaking? Now maybe he's even.

 

[- rob -]

Stinking snitch …crime does NOT pay and neither does Apple, apparently. Sheesh Apple, at least give the guy a silicone case for his trouble.

Disclaimer: I’m strictly tongue in cheek here…

Unrelated, but I found a 3rd party magsafe compatible silicone case on Amazon for $8. Replaced the $50 authentic one that chipped badly and apple wouldn’t replace.

I would not buy an authentic silicone Magsafe case in the future. Copy is that good.

 

[and 1989 others]

Coming soon to Apple TV.

 

[pcd213]

Stinking snitch …crime does NOT pay and neither does Apple, apparently. Sheesh Apple, at least give the guy a silicone case for his trouble.

Disclaimer: I’m strictly tongue in cheek here. I actually have no opinion on this at all. Not my circus, not my monkeys. Numerous elements of this story did make me chuckle, though. Like “I want to clear my conscience but some coin would be nice. Khajiit doesn’t give wares for free, after all.”

Surely there’s an extra bumper case lying around, right?

 

[AlexESP]

I used to say Apple reminded me of Scientology with their secrecy.

Still does.

Both terribly paranoid and neither has anything of value worth keeping secret. Well Apple used to.

I mean after the car thing turned out to be a dud and you can see how bad they've gotten at just iterative software, they could rumor a spaceship and it wouldn't matter. Have they done anything unpredictable in years? The most exciting thing they do is ship software updates that cause HomePods to catch on fire.

It's now more like General Electric Rumors.

I would say the move to ARM for all Macs, including the Mac Pro, was not predictable. When Gurman leaked it one month before WWDC, most people said it would be just for the MBA. The iPhone X was not predictable (everyone guessed a different approach). Nor the Magic Keyboard for iPad. AirPods. iPhone Mini. Etc.