The iPhone even the FBI can’t hack

 

The iPhone 6s on display at a media event in San Francisco on Sept. 9, 2015. Photo: Getty Images

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The FBI withdrew its assault on iPhone encryption after it managed to hack its way into the San Bernardino iPhone. Soon after that, the agency notified other law enforcement officials across the country that it’ll try to help unlock other iPhones in various criminal investigations.
The FBI has yet to tell Apple how it performed the hack, but the bureau does talk about it with senators. In the meantime, the FBI confirmed that while it may be able to hack some iPhones, the iPhone 6s is impenetrable for the time being.
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In fact, all iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s models are equally safe from the hack.
FBI Director James Comey told reporters on Wednesday that the agency had purchased a tool from a third party to unlock the San Bernardino iPhone, CNN reports. He also revealed that the tool only works on a “narrow slice of phones,” which does not include the newest Apple models or the iPhone 5s.
The San Bernardino iPhone is actually an iPhone 5c that runs iOS 9. Given Comey’s statements, it’s likely that the attack only works on 32-bit devices. Starting with the iPhone 5s, Apple included a 64-bit chip in the iPhone, which is harder to crack.
As for the team of experts who created the tool, Comey said he trusts them. “The people we bought this from, I know a fair amount about them, and I have a high degree of confidence that they are very good at protecting it, and their motivations align with ours,” he said.
Comey would not reveal additional details about the hack to reporters, but the FBI informed at least two senators about the tool. According to National Journal, the FBI has already told Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) about the method used, while Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) should also be briefed soon. Feinstein and Burr are working on a new bill to limit the use of encryption in tech.
Comey isn’t as interested in informing Apple about the hack, though it’s likely the company will figure it all out by itself. “We tell Apple, then they’re going to fix it, then we’re back where we started from,” he said. “We may end up there, we just haven’t decided yet.”