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The regime's transition from "hot" to "cold" has stirred up experts and criminologists.
Apple has introduced a new feature in iOS 18 called Auto-Reboot on Idle, which restarts the iPhone if it hasn't been unlocked within 72 hours. This was reported by researchers in the field of cybersecurity.
Recently, it became known that law enforcement officials and digital forensics experts faced the problem of rebooting iPhones under mysterious circumstances, which made it difficult to access the data on the devices. Later it turned out that the inactive auto-restart feature in iOS 18 is activated after a certain time.
The other day, researcher Jiska Klassen published a video confirming the function's operation. The video shows that the iPhone automatically restarts if it is not unlocked within 72 hours.
Confirmation of this information also came from Magnet Forensics, which develops forensic tools for extracting data from iPhones and Androids, for example, GrayKey. The company's specialists confirmed that the timer for automatic reboot is indeed set for 72 hours.
As Klassen explains, the new feature strengthens the protection of devices by locking the encryption keys in a special Secure Enclave chip. This makes it difficult to use outdated tools to access data, even if attackers leave the device on. However, despite this, 3 days is enough time for forensics experts to take the necessary steps to access the data if they act quickly and in a coordinated manner.
iPhone security is affected by two different device states: "before first unlocked" (BFU) and "after first unlocked" (AFU). In the BFU state, all data on the iPhone is fully encrypted and can only be accessed with knowledge of the passcode. In the AFU state, some of the data remains unencrypted, which can make it easier to retrieve with forensic tools, even if the phone is locked.
The researcher, known as Tihmstar, noted that iPhones in the BFU state are called "cold" and in the AFU state are called "hot." Digital forensics companies are more likely to focus on "hot" devices, as they contain data unlocked by the user with a previously entered password. "Cold" devices are more difficult to hack, since after a reboot, their memory becomes almost inaccessible.
Apple declined to comment on this information.
Recall that back in April 2024, mobile forensics company Cellebrite faced a problem: a significant part of modern iPhones turned out to be inaccessible to their hacking tools.
With the release of the new version of iOS 18, Apple has taken another step in the fight against the market for used parts from stolen devices. Now, the Activation Lock feature extends not only to the iPhone itself, but also to its main components, such as the battery, cameras, and display. This innovation is aimed at preventing the resale of stolen parts and provides additional protection to users.
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Apple has introduced a new feature in iOS 18 called Auto-Reboot on Idle, which restarts the iPhone if it hasn't been unlocked within 72 hours. This was reported by researchers in the field of cybersecurity.
Recently, it became known that law enforcement officials and digital forensics experts faced the problem of rebooting iPhones under mysterious circumstances, which made it difficult to access the data on the devices. Later it turned out that the inactive auto-restart feature in iOS 18 is activated after a certain time.
The other day, researcher Jiska Klassen published a video confirming the function's operation. The video shows that the iPhone automatically restarts if it is not unlocked within 72 hours.
Confirmation of this information also came from Magnet Forensics, which develops forensic tools for extracting data from iPhones and Androids, for example, GrayKey. The company's specialists confirmed that the timer for automatic reboot is indeed set for 72 hours.
As Klassen explains, the new feature strengthens the protection of devices by locking the encryption keys in a special Secure Enclave chip. This makes it difficult to use outdated tools to access data, even if attackers leave the device on. However, despite this, 3 days is enough time for forensics experts to take the necessary steps to access the data if they act quickly and in a coordinated manner.
iPhone security is affected by two different device states: "before first unlocked" (BFU) and "after first unlocked" (AFU). In the BFU state, all data on the iPhone is fully encrypted and can only be accessed with knowledge of the passcode. In the AFU state, some of the data remains unencrypted, which can make it easier to retrieve with forensic tools, even if the phone is locked.
The researcher, known as Tihmstar, noted that iPhones in the BFU state are called "cold" and in the AFU state are called "hot." Digital forensics companies are more likely to focus on "hot" devices, as they contain data unlocked by the user with a previously entered password. "Cold" devices are more difficult to hack, since after a reboot, their memory becomes almost inaccessible.
Apple declined to comment on this information.
Recall that back in April 2024, mobile forensics company Cellebrite faced a problem: a significant part of modern iPhones turned out to be inaccessible to their hacking tools.
With the release of the new version of iOS 18, Apple has taken another step in the fight against the market for used parts from stolen devices. Now, the Activation Lock feature extends not only to the iPhone itself, but also to its main components, such as the battery, cameras, and display. This innovation is aimed at preventing the resale of stolen parts and provides additional protection to users.
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