How Is An iPhone Locked To A Network?

[wrkactjob]

The network provider O2 in the UK can unlock your phone very quickly, why can't one of the clever developer/cracker people provide a similar quick and easy service that does this without having to JB first?

How do providers technically 'lock' a phone?

 

[Cinemagic]

Because Apple has the right keys to get into the firmware and make such alterations. Presumably AT&T and other official carriers do as well. Without the right codes, it can only be done through a jailbreak.

 

[wrkactjob]

Because Apple has the right keys to get into the firmware and make such alterations. Presumably AT&T and other official carriers do as well. Without the right codes, it can only be done through a jailbreak.

Ah I see, and no cracker, hacker, app developer on earth has managed to crack this super secure code?

 

[moussekateer]

Ah I see, and no cracker, hacker, app developer on earth has managed to crack this super secure code?

No it's (almost) impossible. There's a token in an area called the seczone in the baseband that holds the locked/unlocked state. It can only validate with the right key which Apple holds. Forget about bruteforcing the key, it would take a long long long long time.

 

[koilvr]

No it's (almost) impossible. There's a token in an area called the seczone in the baseband that holds the locked/unlocked state. It can only validate with the right key which Apple holds. Forget about bruteforcing the key, it would take a long long long long time.

they have had 4 years to do it lol

 

[localboy28]

They don't do it really quickly
In my experience it usually takes a few days

Then it's sent to iTunes for the unlock to be completed.

 

[dieburnbot]

No it's (almost) impossible. There's a token in an area called the seczone in the baseband that holds the locked/unlocked state. It can only validate with the right key which Apple holds. Forget about bruteforcing the key, it would take a long long long long time.

What if we made an @home like service for it and many people crunched numbers to bruteforce it and sent data back to a central server located at dev team HQ or something.

I'm just being retarded even if this worked Apple or AT&T or whomever would probably change the key in 2 seconds.

 

[moussekateer]

they have had 4 years to do it lol

What if we made an @home like service for it and many people crunched numbers to bruteforce it and sent data back to a central server located at dev team HQ or something.

I'm just being retarded even if this worked Apple or AT&T or whomever would probably change the key in 2 seconds.

You misunderstand, it would take years to find your OWN unique key. They used to think Apple had an algorithm for generating the unlock keys but it now seems Apple just has a giant list of each iPhone produced.

 

[dieburnbot]

You misunderstand, it would take years to find your OWN unique key. They used to think Apple had an algorithm for generating the unlock keys but it now seems Apple just has a giant list of each iPhone produced.

Ahh that sucks.

 

[Cinemagic]

The quicker and easier way would be to file and win a law suit against Apple and AT&T that would require them to provide the unlock codes upon termination of the contract. You know how long it takes stuff to get through courts.

At one point in time there was a legal decision that required carriers to provide unlock codes when the client's contract expired. I has an iPAQ (HP) through T-Mobile some 10 years ago. When I terminated my service with T-Mobile, I called and requested the unlock code. They gave it to me, because they had to. Six months before, they would not give me the unlock codes. I don't know why the iPhone is different or if there was a change in the law. But it would seem to me that a case could be made to require Apple or AT&T to provide the unlock codes once the contract expired. But then, that may be why I'm not a lawyer.

 

[moussekateer]

The quicker and easier way would be to file and win a law suit against Apple and AT&T that would require them to provide the unlock codes upon termination of the contract. You know how long it takes stuff to get through courts.

At one point in time there was a legal decision that required carriers to provide unlock codes when the client's contract expired. I has an iPAQ (HP) through T-Mobile some 10 years ago. When I terminated my service with T-Mobile, I called and requested the unlock code. They gave it to me, because they had to. Six months before, they would not give me the unlock codes. I don't know why the iPhone is different or if there was a change in the law. But it would seem to me that a case could be made to require Apple or AT&T to provide the unlock codes once the contract expired. But then, that may be why I'm not a lawyer.

Yea I've never really understood the American mobile networks. In the UK, even though there are no laws regarding unlocks, 99% of phones can be unlocked with a fee, or usually for free, if you ask your network.