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Apple Quietly Introduced iPhone Reboot Code Which is Locking Out Cops (www.404media.co)

submitted 5 days ago by Stopthatgirl7@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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Apple quietly introduced code into iOS 18.1 which reboots the device if it has not been unlocked for a period of time, reverting it to a state which improves the security of iPhones overall and is making it harder for police to break into the devices, according to multiple iPhone security experts.

On Thursday, 404 Media reported that law enforcement officials were freaking out that iPhones which had been stored for examination were mysteriously rebooting themselves. At the time the cause was unclear, with the officials only able to speculate why they were being locked out of the devices. Now a day later, the potential reason why is coming into view.

“Apple indeed added a feature called ‘inactivity reboot’ in iOS 18.1.,” Dr.-Ing. Jiska Classen, a research group leader at the Hasso Plattner Institute, tweeted after 404 Media published on Thursday along with screenshots that they presented as the relevant pieces of code.

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[–] ohellidk@sh.itjust.works 44 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (26 children)

well it's kind of a selling point. I'm just too used to using android, though.

Edit - there's something for that too, cool!

[–] ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee 7 points 5 days ago (8 children)

I'm the only guy in my (small) friend group who still used pattern code instead of fingerprint so I take that to mean my phone is by default more difficult to break into than most. Giving my fingerprint to a giantic tech firm has always seemed like a bad idea so I never did. Though the fingerprint reader acts as a power button too so who knows if they've scanned it anyway.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 5 points 5 days ago (6 children)

Patterns are too easy to breach via brute force is my understanding like comically easy

[–] Crashumbc@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Any modern phone os locks to pin after 3 tries.

Now depending how good they are, it's often possible to guess it by looking at the smear patterns on the phone.

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