iPhone 3Gs Encryption Cracked In Two Minutes

An anonymous reader writes "In a Wired news article, iPhone Forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski explains how the much-touted hardware encryption of the iPhone 3Gs is but a farce, and demonstrates how both the passcode and backup encryption can be bypassed in about two minutes. Zdziarski also goes on to say that all data on the iPhone — including deleted data — is automatically decrypted by the iPhone when it's copied, allowing hackers and law enforcement agencies alike access the device's raw disk as if no encryption were present. A second demonstration features the recovery of the iPhone's entire disk while the device is still passcode-locked. According to a similar article in Ars Technica, Zdziarski describes the iPhone's hardware encryption by saying it's 'like putting privacy glass on half your shower door.' With the iPhone being sold into 20% of Fortune-100s and into the military, just how worried should we be with such shoddy security?"

On The Bright Side...

[NeverVotedBush]

No government will have to strong-arm Apple to give it a back door into the iPhone operating system. ;-)

I know security can be a minefield but for Apple to leave a hole this big is pretty inexcusable.

But...

[thePsychologist]

This is a feature. Cracking is yet another thing about the iPhone that Just Works. I believe Steve Jobs would be proud.

Re:I put privacy glass . . .

[frosty_tsm]

I put privacy glass on the top half of the shower door so I don't have to look at the people watching me, which seems to be the same kind of privacy I can expect on my iPhone 3G.

Fixed it for you.

Re:But...

[mdwh2]

Indeed, it doesn't matter that other phones have been cracked - Apple were the first ones to make it work Out Of The Box.

It's all about the implementation. With the iPhone 3gS, your credit card details are integrated perfectly with crackers, thieves, and Steve Jobs.

Re:Apple blows.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, when one has diarrhea, one 'blows' chunks out of their ass. This 'sucks' when it happens. So I guess we can say Apple is 'shit'.

Wow, this guy is hard core...

[risk one]

He even encrypted his last name.

Re:has it been 2 minutes already?

[mdwh2]

For a moment, I thought you were the author of the Windows File Copy Dialog [xkcd.com]...

Re:Apple blows.

[bertoelcon]

My vacuum can suck and blow, but it doesn't have the capacity for hot air that apple does.

I cracked my iPhone way faster...

[tbischel]

This is a feature. Cracking is yet another thing about the iPhone that Just Works. I believe Steve Jobs would be proud.

I Cracked my iPhone the first time I dropped it, 30 seconds flat. But if you read the fine print, it turns out Apples warranty doesn't cover the screen.

Oh Great

[maiotaku]

Oh great, now all those secret emails about the money laundering are going to be found by the government because I'm the only major corporate executive who uses an iPhone to talk about all our illegal activities. I thought my data would be so safe, with no other weak links in the chain... like my email server or anything of that sort that could possibly also be hacked...

Re:On the editor side

[Architect_sasyr]

They seem to have the same no-added value functionality of the men's room attendants who are there to hand you a towel as thought you could not get one yourself.

I disagree - the mens room attendant acts like moderators around here do, they keep people from pissing all over the walls.

The editors, on the other hand, seem to encourage that sort of behaviour!

Re:Apple blows.

[NightRain]

The best technique involves both sucking and blowing, in an alternating fashion.

Isn't that also known as breathing?