Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices.

iphone 14 lineup
The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media reveals that for all locked iPhones capable of running iOS 17.4 or newer, Cellebrite's status is listed as "In Research," indicating they cannot reliably unlock these devices with their current tools. This limitation likely extends to a significant portion of modern iPhones, as Apple's own data from June shows that 77% of all iPhones and 87% of iPhones introduced in the last four years are running some version of iOS 17.

Interestingly, the documents indicate that Cellebrite recently added support for the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 series running iOS 17.1 to 17.3.1. However, for iPhone 12 and newer models running these same iOS versions, the status is listed as "Coming soon," suggesting Cellebrite's continuing attempts to keep pace with Apple's security advancements.

Another document shows that Cellebrite can break into most Android devices, but not all of them. Cellebrite cannot, for example, brute force a turned-off Google Pixel 6, 7, or 8 to get the users' data.

The revelation comes despite Cellebrite's marketing claims that their Premium service, which offers additional capabilities, can obtain passcodes for "nearly all of today's mobile devices, including the latest iOS and Android versions."

Cellebrite's Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) is widely used by law enforcement agencies worldwide for extracting data from mobile phones. Cellebrite first garnered significant attention in 2016, when it was believed the company was enlisted to help the FBI break into the ‌iPhone‌ 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook after Apple refused to provide the FBI with tools to unlock the device.

The FBI did not use Cellebrite's services for that particular case, but several US government agencies do regularly work with Cellebrite to unlock iOS devices.

Apple continually introduces improvements to the security of its operating systems in order to keep ahead of companies like Cellebrite that are always searching for flaws and vulnerabilities to exploit in order to access the data on locked iOS devices.

For example, in October 2018 Apple successfully thwarted the "GrayKey" ‌iPhone‌ passcode hack, sold by Atlanta-based company Grayshift, which had also been in use by U.S. law enforcement.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...

Top Rated Comments

centauratlas Avatar
9 months ago
Apple's commitment to continuing to upgrade their security is admirable. The desire of authoritarians to control and monitor everything is continual and Apple's attempts to limit it help everyone. Security theater from some vs actual security on iOS.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
9 months ago

Cellebrite first garnered significant attention in 2016, when it was believed ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/23/fbi-israeli-firm-cellebrite-to-unlock-iphone/') the company was enlisted to help the FBI break into the ‌iPhone‌ 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook after Apple refused to provide the FBI with tools to unlock the device.
The FBI waited to call Apple until after they had screwed around with the phone. One would think the F B friggin I would follow chain of custody procedures. The head of the FBI then asked Apple to make a patched version of iOS that bypasses the lock screen that they could install on any phone. Apple refused. Apple offered all the data it had, and if they hadn't messed with it first could have helped more.

Anyway more on topic, there's always the $5 wrench method. If people practice perfect opsec then the phone is locked up tight. But there's almost always an easier way than cracking the phone directly.



Security ('https://xkcd.com/538')

Attachment Image
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
willzyx Avatar
9 months ago

The FBI waited to call Apple until after they had screwed around with the phone. One would think the F B friggin I would follow chain of custody procedures. The head of the FBI then asked Apple to make a patched version of iOS that bypasses the lock screen that they could install on any phone. Apple refused. Apple offered all the data it had, and if they hadn't messed with it first could have helped more.

Anyway more on topic, there's always the $5 wrench method. If people practice perfect opsec then the phone is locked up tight. But there's almost always an easier way than cracking the phone directly.



Security ('https://xkcd.com/538')
I call BS on that. You see the size of the wrench he's holding? There's no way he paid $5 for that. Not with today's economy and COVID chip shortage. That's at least $20.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H2SO4 Avatar
9 months ago
For now..........
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
9 months ago
all these tools yet the EU wants to „protect“ us with those annoying Cookie Banners. All just a front to preach falls safety while actually spying on us in secret anyway.

Also the irony trying to click one of the links in the article:

„This connection is not private“

Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6787872 Avatar
9 months ago
good. let this morally bankrupt company lose their customers.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)