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This article misses what I really wanted to hear - how did they unlock the device?

by k_sh 8y ago

TazeTSchnitzel 8y ago
It's possible to unlock an iPhone's passcode protection with its iCloud account, if the iPhone user has allowed that. Edit: I think I'm wrong and misremembering.
- gruez 8y ago
  what setting is that under?
  - pensatoio 8y ago
    Ditto, I need to make sure it’s off...
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- xvector 8y ago
  Any idea how to disable this? Edit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306: > Unless you made a backup before you forgot your passcode, there isn't a way to save your device's data. You'll need to erase your device, which deletes all of your data and settings. Looks like the deceased had an iCloud backup of his iPhone, potentially unencrypted (i.e. without a password - Apple obviously encrypts this on their end). More in the iCloud security model: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 Edit 2: You can turn off iCloud backup altogether to avoid this (on an iPhone: Apple ID -> iCloud -> iCloud Backup -> Off).
  - ProAm 8y ago
    If I recall you cannot, I think Apple has the keys to your iCloud account so its always available for unlock (iCloud not the phone itself) this is how they provide access to authorities when they have a warrant. This was the case a few years ago, it might have changed since.
    - madeofpalk 8y ago
      To be clear, they provide access to the phone backup, but not the phone itself. In most cases though, a phone backup is an identical substitute for the phone itself.
    - xvector 8y ago
      I believe this is the case for unencrypted iCloud backups. If you put a password on your iCloud backup, I'm not sure they can do that (as then it becomes E_iCloud(E_yourPwd(backup)) - doesn't look like they could do much more here than recover the user-encrypted backup). Anyone care to confirm?
- eugeniub 8y ago
  This is not true. Under no case can Apple unlock an iPhone's passcode protection with the iCloud account, unless Apple is hiding something major. More likely, the iPhone was backed up to iCloud, and Apple granted access to the iCloud backup, which would probably be essentially identical to the contents of the iPhone itself.
- bbatsell 8y ago
  I think you might be conflating macOS and iOS. When you enable FileVault (macOS full-disk encryption), you are given the option to upload a recovery key to Apple tied to your iCloud account. To my knowledge this is not offered with iOS.
spondyl 8y ago
For context, this article is regarding a Fair Go story. They're like a "Stand up for the small guy" type show here in New Zealand so it's not surprise that they didn't really go into detail at all. Their target audience wouldn't know, nor likely care how Apple went about this process. The same could also be said likely about whether it was a phone unlock or an iCloud dump. Viewers just want to see a happy ending for the "small guy against the big corporate"

This article misses what I really wanted to hear - how did they unlock the device?

by k_sh 8y ago

This article misses what I really wanted to hear - how did they unlock the device?

It's possible to unlock an iPhone's passcode protection with its iCloud account, if the iPhone user has allowed that. Edit: I think I'm wrong and misremembering.

gruez 8y ago
what setting is that under?
- pensatoio 8y ago
  Ditto, I need to make sure it’s off...
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
xvector 8y ago
Any idea how to disable this? Edit: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306: > Unless you made a backup before you forgot your passcode, there isn't a way to save your device's data. You'll need to erase your device, which deletes all of your data and settings. Looks like the deceased had an iCloud backup of his iPhone, potentially unencrypted (i.e. without a password - Apple obviously encrypts this on their end). More in the iCloud security model: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 Edit 2: You can turn off iCloud backup altogether to avoid this (on an iPhone: Apple ID -> iCloud -> iCloud Backup -> Off).
- ProAm 8y ago
  If I recall you cannot, I think Apple has the keys to your iCloud account so its always available for unlock (iCloud not the phone itself) this is how they provide access to authorities when they have a warrant. This was the case a few years ago, it might have changed since.
  - madeofpalk 8y ago
    To be clear, they provide access to the phone backup, but not the phone itself. In most cases though, a phone backup is an identical substitute for the phone itself.
  - xvector 8y ago
    I believe this is the case for unencrypted iCloud backups. If you put a password on your iCloud backup, I'm not sure they can do that (as then it becomes E_iCloud(E_yourPwd(backup)) - doesn't look like they could do much more here than recover the user-encrypted backup). Anyone care to confirm?
eugeniub 8y ago
This is not true. Under no case can Apple unlock an iPhone's passcode protection with the iCloud account, unless Apple is hiding something major. More likely, the iPhone was backed up to iCloud, and Apple granted access to the iCloud backup, which would probably be essentially identical to the contents of the iPhone itself.
bbatsell 8y ago
I think you might be conflating macOS and iOS. When you enable FileVault (macOS full-disk encryption), you are given the option to upload a recovery key to Apple tied to your iCloud account. To my knowledge this is not offered with iOS.

spondyl 8y ago

For context, this article is regarding a Fair Go story. They're like a "Stand up for the small guy" type show here in New Zealand so it's not surprise that they didn't really go into detail at all. Their target audience wouldn't know, nor likely care how Apple went about this process. The same could also be said likely about whether it was a phone unlock or an iCloud dump. Viewers just want to see a happy ending for the "small guy against the big corporate"