Hacker News Reader

Comment by zaphoyd | Hacker News Reader

As the original article mentions, it sounds like Apple has already engineered a situation where they can't get into their own phones. This Apple only backdoor option exists only in equipment that predates the secure enclave hardware (such as the phone in this case).

View on HN

Except that there is no proof of this. It was stated as false by John Kelley, an ex Embedded Security engineer at Apple: https://twitter.com/JohnHedge/status/699882614212075520

For all we know so far, Apple could still provide a signed firmware bypassing the bruteforcing delay implemented by the Secure Enclave.

Such a thing does not currently exist, though. They would have to develop one.

The only way to bypass the brute forcing delay would be to increase computing power, since it's a function of the encryption method used. It basically goes through a number of iterations chosen to make it take about 80 ms per attempt.

They always can. Microcode updates come to mind. While apple have the ability to keep their ecosystems locked, they also have the capability to unlock them.

Probably not easy and not on mass scale. It may even need to have to see inside the silicone itself. Which is expensive and hard. But as long as the keys are on the device or in possession of apple - they can be extracted.

The private keys are not in the possession of Apple though. The key is in the secure enclave.

Worse case, you disassemble the die and read the bits off with an electron microscope. It's still possible, just expensive, painful, and maybe dangerous if you damage the chip.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com