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Phone-Hacking Tool Law Agencies Use Cost Just $100 on eBay
When smartphone companies refuse to help law enforcement agencies access encrypted devices, investigators often turn to companies like Cellebrite, which offers its Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) to help them hack the phone in question to access secure data The problem? This week, Forbes reported that UFEDs--which normally cost between $5,000 and $15,000--can now be bought on eBay for as little as $100.
In addition to letting anyone with a likeness of Benjamin Franklin break into other people's devices, these used UFEDs were also found to contain data from previous investigations.
Forbes said Hacker House co-founder Matthew Hickey bought a dozen UFEDs to see what secrets they might contain. He reportedly found that the "secondhand kit contained information on what devices were searched, when they were searched and what kinds of data were removed," as well as the searched phones' IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) codes.
Related: Washington Post: The FBI Paid "Gray Hat(s)", Not Cellebrite, for iPhone Unlock
Meeting Cellebrite - Israel's Master Phone Crackers
Cellebrite Appears to Have Been Hacked
Federal Court Rules That the FBI Does Not Have to Disclose Name of iPhone Hacking Vendor
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Sunday March 03 2019, @05:13AM (2 children)
I came to say something similar. Electronic security of any kind is an arms race. Our second amendment intended that the citizens have access to the same weapons that government uses against them. IMO, that second amendment guarantees the right of private citizens to access these weapons. A hundred dollars a pop? OK, so the poorest of the dirt poor can't access them - but they can't buy a reliable firearm either. Everyone else can get one if they scrimp and save. People in the middle class don't even have to scrimp and save. Actually, that sounds about right!
But wait - wut did you say? THEY'RE ALL GONE?! THAT SUCKS!! Well, I hate doing business with Wal-mart or Amazon, but I'll check them both. Have you looked at Home Depot?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday March 03 2019, @07:48AM
Well gee whiz, an Israeli company in the only nation that gets an unredacted stream of NSA data is somehow really good at finding backdoors in everything.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 03 2019, @05:29PM
"Electronic security of any kind is an arms race"
and if it's not open-source you $ELL to both sides!