The Prototype iPhones That Hackers Use to Research Apple’s Most Sensitive Code

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/gyakgw/the-prototype-dev-fused-iphones-that-hackers-use-to-research-apple-zero-days

By Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
Motherboard.vice.com
March 6, 2019

Mathew Solnik stood next to two of the best iPhone hackers in the world and
addressed the question the hundreds of people watching him were all wondering.

"The white elephant in the room: How exactly did we get it?" Solnik, a
well-known security researcher, said as he wrapped up one of the most
anticipated talks at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas in early
August 2016. In attendance, among hundreds of security professionals and
hackers, were researchers from a company that sells iPhone-cracking services to
cops around the world, and Apple's own employees.

The thing that his team had been able to analyze for the first time was the
iPhone's Secure Enclave Processor (SEP), which handles data encryption for the
iPhone. How they were able to do this was a valid question given Apple's
notorious secrecy, and the fact that the SEP is one of the most important and
most closely guarded components of the iPhone, the most secure smartphone on the
market.

"Well, you get to ask us next time we talk," Solnik added. (Solnik said the same
when I approached him after the talk.)

There was no next time: The team has never publicly discussed its methods.

[...]



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