iOS 11.4 Disables Lightning Connector After 7 Days, Limiting Law Enforcement Access

[bitslap47]

How exactly do you reset the time lock if you do not have access inside the device and the lightning port is not allowing data access? Something isn’t adding up here.

Network time.

Could probably just turn off automatic time set.

"If your device still shows an incorrect date, time, or time zone,2 change each setting instead of using Set Automatically. For example, you might have iOS 9 or earlier and your country or region or government changes the time zone or the observance of Daylight Saving Time (DST). If so, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time.
2. Turn off Set Automatically."

 

[apolloa]

How sad and pathetic... a pointl s exercis designed to block criminal investigations, I wonder how many criminals this move will allow to go free..

 

[dewski]

Why do they bend over backwards to hamstring our police?

 

[killawat]

An unintended downside: imagine you have a close friend or family member pass away. You/their family want to access their devices afterwards for photos, remembrance, information about their final days, etc. Absent the biometric and passcode (which I am assuming you don't have) you will need the cord access to get in. With a billion devices out there, I am thinking this will happen more frequently than the law enforcement access it is intended to prevent.

And to anyone who wonders why this would even be necessary, I submit you have not suddenly lost a loved one. Not uncommon to go looking for answers or solace in their devices, notify friends of the passing, etc. Asking people to try to get in there within 7 days isn't always realistic or feasible.

If someone wants you to have access to their phone then they will let you know and escrow the passcode somewhere. Its very easy to do this. If Auntie Bev doesn't want you to have her passcode, maybe you aren't as close as you thought.

Absent any passcode or instruction from the estate for handling the device, my top concern is making sure the device is securely handled (wiped, handed off to a loved one, destroyed).

 

[kmichalec]

Network time.

Could probably just turn off automatic time set.

"If your device still shows an incorrect date, time, or time zone,2 change each setting instead of using Set Automatically. For example, you might have iOS 9 or earlier and your country or region or government changes the time zone or the observance of Daylight Saving Time (DST). If so, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time.
2. Turn off Set Automatically."

^^^^ You still need to unlock the device to get to those settings... Hence resetting the 7 day countdown.

 

[dewski]

What situations are there where a user would plug their locked phone into a computer or other device and need it to function immediately? I can't think of anything off the top of my head, so IMHO this should be a feature that is activated every time the phone is locked. The exception would be if there was a currently active lightning connection (like the headphone jack dongle) that needed to continue functioning in the background.

Probably playing music in a car via USB. If the lightning port was shut off to data, then it would not worked once the phone was locked. That was disable carplay as well.

 

[KnighsTalker]

What happens if you go away on holiday for two weeks and leave your phone behind by accident. A burglar breaks in steals your phone then drops it in a puddle while being chased by the police and an onlooker retrieves it. The onlooker gives it to their friend who's mother is an astronaut who takes it with her to the ISS and leaves it there. A cosmonaut picks it up and brings it back to Russia where it's confiscated by the FSB who then gives it to Vladimir Putin!

Then what?

 

[kmichalec]

Probably playing music in a car via USB. If the lightning port was shut off to data, then it would not worked once the phone was locked. That was disable carplay as well.

So, just unlock it with a passcode, TouchID or FaceID, and then counter is reset back to 7 days and music and Carplay will resume function...

 

[dewski]

So, just unlock it with a passcode, TouchID or FaceID, and then counter is reset back to 7 days...

The person I responded to was suggesting that it lock data on the lightning port every time you locked the phone, and not waiting the 7 days.

 

[sundog925]

Who cares this much about security, make a battery last 24 hours and my socks will be blown off!

Y’all on FB And thru prism the government knows you already so this whole thread is moot! LOL

 

[bitslap47]

^^^^ You still need to unlock the device to get to those settings... Hence resetting the 7 day countdown.

No... I meant people should turn it off on their phones to prevent the manipulation.

They (law enforcement/whoever) are probably setting up a fake cell and manipulating the network date/time and the phone adopts it.

Turn that setting off on your phone and then that method, if that is what they are using, won't work.

 

[wolfshades]

Network time.

Could probably just turn off automatic time set.

"If your device still shows an incorrect date, time, or time zone,2 change each setting instead of using Set Automatically. For example, you might have iOS 9 or earlier and your country or region or government changes the time zone or the observance of Daylight Saving Time (DST). If so, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time.
2. Turn off Set Automatically."

If that’s what it would take to make it work, then it’s a non-issue, since the majority of iPhone users wouldn’t go to the trouble of turning off automatic time set like that. Why would they?

Plus, the hacker would have to know that this has occurred. Or plug it in and hope for a Hail Mary that this was the configuration.

 

[kmichalec]

The person I responded to was suggesting that it lock data on the lightning port every time you locked the phone, and not waiting the 7 days.

Ahhh, thanks for the clarification. My apologies.

 

[bitslap47]

If that’s what it would take to make it work, then it’s a non-issue, since the majority of iPhone users wouldn’t go to the trouble of turning off automatic time set like that. Why would they?

Plus, the hacker would have to know that this has occurred. Or plug it in and hope for a Hail Mary that this was the configuration.

It's on by default.

... I meant people should turn it off on their phones to prevent the manipulation.

They (law enforcement/whoever) are probably setting up a fake cell and manipulating the network date/time and the phone adopts it.

Turn that setting off on your phone and then that method, if that is what they are using, won't work.

 

[chucker23n1]

What would that be? Something a street level person could do? Or something more on the FBI / NSA level?

Something only a snake oil salesman like OldSchoolMacGuy is able to do.
[doublepost=1525806451][/doublepost]

How long does it take greykey to crack an alphanumeric passcode?

GrayKey takes 240ms per attempt.

Assuming 95 different characters (that's the keys you have on your iPhone, not counting characters available by pressing and holding), two characters would take 36 minutes, three 2.4 days, four 7.4 months, and five 58.8 years.

Basically, GrayKey only affects numeric PINs, and even with those, if you use seven digits, it's still 27.8 days.

 

[manu chao]

If I couldn’t get in I would eventually wipe and restore it from a computer.

And as already said, putting the iPhone into DFU mode and wiping it should still be possible.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Apple needs to add functionality which triggers USB disable with the same multi power button click action that disables TouchID and FaceID.

 

[dogslobber]

In the movies it would self-destruct.

 

[chucker23n1]

This was answered previously here: https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/16/iphone-cracking-six-digit-passcode/

Those answers are for the theoretical maximum at which you can try a passcode with the Secure Enclave, namely 80ms per guess. GrayKey is a lot slower than that and appears to take 240ms per guess.

 

[shplock]

so if i dont connect my iphone to my mac for 7 days...from that day on, i will no longer can do it?

Yes you can...you just need to unlock it first, then connect it.

 

[redneckitengineer]

Can we get an even shorter timer? I’m ok with 24hrs.

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

Law doesn’t change the reality of technical ability. If you introduce a vulnerability for law enforcement you introduce it for everyone.

Which is why Apple's current stance is stupid.
It will force lawmakers to force Apple to introduce vulnerabilities.

 

[macduke]

This is actually a pretty smart solution. But I wish I could change the timeout to a day. Who honestly even syncs their iPhone to a computer any more? Maybe once a year if you want your backup to go faster to your new iPhone. I'd love an option to just turn off data access entirely for the Lightning port. There's no reason for it for most people nowadays. I'd estimate at least 90% of people wouldn't even notice that it was off.

 

[nsayer]

This serves no purpose than to stifle the lawful ability of the government to obtain and execute search warrants.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

The constitution empowers the government to obtain search warrants. It in no way requires anyone to assist them in their search.

 

[chucker23n1]

A six digit passcode (numbers) can be cracked by the GrayKey device (Cracker?) in 11-22 hours.

No, GrayKey needs up to 2.78 days.

Plenty of time for them to get into the phone (they've now got 7 days with iOS 11.4).

The 7-day limit isn't affected, as the cracking takes place on the device. Only the installation needs to take place within 7 days.