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Used Universal Forensic Extraction Devices (Phone Cracking Devices) Found on eBay

posted by martyb on Sunday March 03 2019, @02:22AM   Printer-friendly
from the just-in-case-you-forget-your-password dept.

takyon writes:

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

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by realDonaldTrump on Sunday March 03 2019, @11:48AM (1 child)

    by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Sunday March 03 2019, @11:48AM (#809387) Homepage Journal

    It means a hundred dollars. It's a low class way of saying that. When you're hiring someone, you ask "how much for an hour?" Right? I'll tell you, if she starts talking about Benjamins, she calls it Benjamins, maybe that's someone you don't want to hire. Somebody with NO CLASS. And maybe you hire her anyway, right? Be careful with that one. Or you'll be sorry when you go to the Doctor!!!

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  • (Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Sunday March 03 2019, @11:08PM

    by linkdude64 (5482) on Sunday March 03 2019, @11:08PM (#809585)

    NOW it makes sense! Laughed and +1'd.

    I see where my disconnect was now - in "anyone with a likeness of Ben Franklin" I took the word likeness as meaning appearance.