Bug Allows Activation Lock Bypass on iPhone, iPad

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Is it me? Or does it seem like there has been a lot of these iPhone lockscreen bypass bugs going around lately? Just last month some guy, using a second iPhone, was able to bypass the iPhone lock screen (here).


The problem, as researchers discovered, is that there is no limitation on the number of characters that can be entered into the name, username and password fields. By entering very long strings into these fields, an attacker can trigger a crash that exposes the device’s homescreen. The crash can be triggered using at least two methods. The first involves Apple’s iPad smart cases, which cause the device to wake or sleep when the case is opened or closed.
 
But but but it's Apple innovation at work giving people new ways to unlock their devices, how can you cast that in a negative light?!?! :D
 
It's the FBI's fault; they opened the flood gates on people being interested in cracking these when they demanded the Apple unlock that terrorist iPhone. I think the incentive may have gone up even more when Cellebrite scored what had to have been a very lucrative payday.
 
Honestly none of these sound like bugs... More like built in backdoors.... I mean its just a series of unlikely actions kind of resetting the maintenance schedule on my car... Just a fair bit more complex I guess.
 
Uvaman2 said:
Honestly none of these sound like bugs... More like built in backdoors.... I mean its just a series of unlikely actions kind of resetting the maintenance schedule on my car... Just a fair bit more complex I guess.
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I would say that is a bug that failed QA. A common first thing you learn in security or your web design or general programming career is that you would like to limit fields to prevent sql injection, crashing, user errors, server crashing etc. A common solution is to block non-"keyboard keys" another is to add field limitations.

I'm really surprised this didnt get caught earlier. A common test is just to copy a bunch of text and paste it a bunch of times and see what happens. Another test is to write code and paste it and see what happens like "select username from x"
 
Synopsis:

Action A: Copy/paste about 1000 characters into the Network username and password field. (for some reason this iPad came to a crawl at this point).
Action B: Use the magnetic smart case to power off iPad and power on.
Action C: Rotate between portrait and landscape mode.

Repeat Action B & C for about 5 minutes and eventually you will get the homescreen to flash for 1/2 second (though video does not show actually getting access to home screen).

It says in passing this would work on the iPhone (no demonstration though), but it's not clear if the Smart Case is crucial, as the Smart Case does not exist for the iPhone.

Additionally, this requires triggering the phone into "Locked Mode" from Find My iPhone, which requires access to another <non locked> iPhone/iPad or iCloud web access. So this is not as simple as stealing someones phone and doing this.
 
Apple must have finally run out of Jobs' stash of fairy dust and unicorn tears that made all previous iOS devices impervious to bugs like these.
 
Yeah but Apple will fix these issues and as I have stated here in the past (however unpopular it may be) every user across the globe will get the iOS update regardless of what carrier they have thus patching the issue. Gee, how can Apple do this? Hell, how can Microsoft do this? Wow, two of the most hated companies in the world can somehow manage to be able to push out security patches to all of their customers across the globe with relative ease while that steaming pile of shit called Android still can't do it six years later.

But all you have to go ahead and make fun of Apple (and Microsoft) meanwhile Android has this huge issue in which the OEMs just don't give a rat's ass about you and your year old device (I'm looking at your Samsung!) but nobody screams about that. Where's the outrage? Where's the angry mobs with their pitchforks and torches? Oh but when Apple and Microsoft fucks up there's no limit to the amount of people who will join the angry mob. Double standard? I THINK SO!
 
Hey Android fanboys, those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Why don't you put pressure on the Android OEMs to make them do their fucking jobs! And where is Google to put their pressure on their OEM partners to also do their fucking jobs! Oh yeah... it's not happening. Bullshit, fucking bullshit is what I call it!

The OEMs understand only one thing, money. If Google were to say withhold their "blessing" on any new Android devices thus not having the ability to have the Google Experience Pack (Google Play Store, Services, GMail, etc.) as part of the software package distributed with their shiny new phone it would cut into their profit margins. That's what Google needs to do to their OEM partners. You either agree with a guaranteed update schedule that you're going to strictly adhere to or no Google Experience Pack and our blessing for your devices. Google needs to hold the OEM's feet to the fire and make them do their fucking jobs! Monthly software updates! Monthly security updates! Microsoft can do it every Patch Tuesday, Adobe can do it with Adobe Flash, Firefox can do it. Why can't they!? Greed, nothing but greed is the reason why! They would much rather you buy their shiny new device instead of keeping up their end of the bargain.

Oh... did I hurt you you Android fanboys? Tough shit! Get over it! I'm right... you're wrong! Gooligan would have never happened if the Android OEMs would have done their fucking jobs to begin with!
 
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trparky said:
Yeah but Apple will fix these issues and as I have stated here in the past (however unpopular it may be) every user across the globe will get the iOS update regardless of what carrier they have thus patching the issue. Gee, how can Apple do this? Hell, how can Microsoft do this? Wow, two of the most hated companies in the world can somehow manage to be able to push out security patches to all of their customers across the globe with relative ease while that steaming pile of shit called Android still can't do it six years later.

But all you have to go ahead and make fun of Apple (and Microsoft) meanwhile Android has this huge issue in which the OEMs just don't give a rat's ass about you and your year old device (I'm looking at your Samsung!) but nobody screams about that. Where's the outrage? Where's the angry mobs with their pitchforks and torches? Oh but when Apple and Microsoft fucks up there's no limit to the amount of people who will join the angry mob. Double standard? I THINK SO!
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MS does a pretty good job, I agree Apple does a great job. Being an android owner is both frustrating and sad. Unless you are an IT geek like us you will have bad data plan usage (apps using data all the time without consent), poor battery life, tons of security issues... and are at least 1-2 years out of date if not more. "wow just get nexus/pixel" yeah did that, my battery life still stinks and updates are still 30-60 days. I hate saying apple is better at it but they are.
 
trparky said:
Hey Android fanboys, those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Why don't you put pressure on the Android OEMs to make them do their fucking jobs! And where is Google to put their pressure on their OEM partners to also do their fucking jobs! Oh yeah... it's not happening. Bullshit, fucking bullshit is what I call it!

The OEMs understand only one thing, money. If Google were to say withhold their "blessing" on any new Android devices thus not having the ability to have the Google Experience Pack (Google Play Store, Services, GMail, etc.) as part of the software package distributed with their shiny new phone it would cut into their profit margins. That's what Google needs to do to their OEM partners. You either agree with a guaranteed update schedule that you're going to strictly adhere to or no Google Experience Pack and our blessing for your devices. Google needs to hold the OEM's feet to the fire and make them do their fucking jobs! Monthly software updates! Monthly security updates! Microsoft can do it every Patch Tuesday, Adobe can do it with Adobe Flash, Firefox can do it. Why can't they!? Greed, nothing but greed is the reason why! They would much rather you buy their shiny new device instead of keeping up their end of the bargain.

Oh... did I hurt you you Android fanboys? Touch shit! Get over it! I'm right... you're wrong!
Click to expand...

100% agree even though I prefer android devices.

Apple - upgrade storage.. yeah right
Apple - want a headphone jack - tough luck unless you want to spend extra for yet another adapter
Apple - want to develop apps for use on our platform? - cough up the yearly fee on top of the percentage we take of your sales.
Apple - you're holding it wrong (obvious design flaw issues with multiple products and they just shrug it off)

If Google would force the OEMs to actually keep Android up to date on their devices AND disallow bloatware I would be much happier.
 
What? Still no "it's not a bug, it's a feature" post?
It takes courage to make a bypassable lock screen.
 
Basically it comes down to this, Google should be having this conversation with Samsung...

Samsung: Hey Google, will be giving us your blessing to allow us to include the Google Experience Pack into the release of our new Galaxy S8? Remember, the Google Experience Pack isn't open source so we have to ask for that. Remember? Can we have your permission? Pretty please!

Google #1: So how is the updating of your older devices coming along? Does the S5, S6, and S7 have Nougat yet?

Samsung: Uh... no, we've been working hard on our new S8 that's going to be out in six months. We've not had time to put the effort into updating those older devices.

Google #2: Then we don't have the time to give you permission to include the Google Experience Pack.

Samsung: Wait. What?

Google #2: Just what I said, if you don't have time to update your older devices then we don't have the time to give you permission to include the Google Experience Pack on your new Galaxy S8.

Samsung: You can't do that! You have to give us permission!

Google #1: Nope, we don't necessarily have to give you permission to include the Google Experience Pack. It's not open source, we control it, we don't have to give it to you if we feel you're not doing your jobs.

Samsung: So what do you want us to do?

Google #2: We want you to update your older devices to Android Nougat or no Google Experience Pack for you and your new Galaxy S8. You told us that you're planning on releasing it in six months so that gives you six months to update your older devices. *looks at calendar* You're wasting time just standing here, get to work! You have a lot of work ahead of you! *smiles*

Samsung: *walks away pissed off*

Google #1: I think that went very well. Don't you think Google #2?

Google #2: Yep... that went very well.

Google #1: Say... aren't we supposed to be talking to HTC today?

Google #2: No, that's tomorrow

Google #1: That should fun.​

You know what this is called? This is called playing hardball! Google needs to be playing hardball with their OEM partners.
 
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trparky said:
Basically it comes down to this, Google should be having this conversation with Samsung...

Samsung: Hey Google, will be giving us your blessing to allow us to include the Google Experience Pack into the release of our new Galaxy S8? Remember, the Google Experience Pack isn't open source so we have to ask for that. Remember? Can we have your permission? Pretty please!

Google #1: So how is the updating of your older devices coming along? Does the S5, S6, and S7 have Nougat yet?

Samsung: Uh... no, we've been working hard on our new S8 that's going to be out in six months. We've not had time to put the effort into updating those older devices.

Google #2: Then we don't have the time to give you permission to include the Google Experience Pack.

Samsung: Wait. What?

Google #2: Just what I said, if you don't have time to update your older devices then we don't have the time to give you permission to include the Google Experience Pack on your new Galaxy S8.

Samsung: You can't do that! You have to give us permission!

Google #1: Nope, we don't necessarily have to give you permission to include the Google Experience Pack. It's not open source, we control it, we don't have to give it to you if we feel you're not doing your jobs.

Samsung: So what do you want us to do?

Google #2: We want you to update your older devices to Android Nougat or no Google Experience Pack for you and your new Galaxy S8. You told us that you're planning on releasing it in six months so that gives you six months to update your older devices. *looks at calendar* You're wasting time just standing here, get to work! You have a lot of work ahead of you! *smiles*

Samsung: *walks away pissed off*

Google #1: I think that went very well. Don't you think Google #2?

Google #2: Yep... that went very well.

Google #1: Say... aren't we supposed to be talking to HTC today?

Google #2: No, that's tomorrow

Google #1: That should fun.​

You know what this is called? This is called playing hardball! Google needs to be playing hardball with their OEM partners.
Click to expand...

I don't understand how Apple can make demands with OEM but not Google. Google has a huge share of the phone market so should have the pull to get this done. I love my stock 6P for the fact I get monthly updates and no bloat like I did with every other phone before it.
 
vegeta535 said:
I don't understand how Apple can make demands with OEM but not Google. Google has a huge share of the phone market so should have the pull to get this done. I love my stock 6P for the fact I get monthly updates and no bloat like I did with every other phone before it.
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Apple is THE OEM - the one and only OEM for Apple products. Apple designs, contract-manufactures the hardware and creates iOS for themselves only. Their update tasks is much easier. And allows them to subvert older hardware performance to suit their selected obsolescence schedule.

Google is just a hapless advertising company caught in the crossfire of free mobile OS supplier and data-mining inspector without the desire to get their do-no-harm hands dirty with hardware - until Pixel arrived. Now they have the opportunity to control two phone models in their faux-apple tribute experience.

Microsoft had a buggy user-controllable update system for desktops - which has morphed into a buggy non-user-controllable Operating System as A Service pretend walled garden / hapless advertising company. On mobile, Microsoft is offering an update system... of excuses.
 
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