The FBI paid hackers unaffiliated with any professional tech firm to figure out how to break into an Apple iPhone, according to a Tuesday evening report.
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The bureau effectively used cybermercenaries, according to unnamed sources quoted by the Washington Post, to figure out how to break into the iPhone 5c used by terrorists in San Bernardino, Calif. It did not use the Israeli tech firm Cellebrite, as analysts had generally believed.
“At least one” of the people used fell in the “gray hat” category of hackers, those who sell software vulnerabilities to governments and companies alike, without regard for the ethical implications. The vulnerability the agency discovered allowed it to hack the four-digit password on the device. Though going through all of the permutations for a four-digit code takes less than 30 minutes, Apple devices are usually programmed to erase all of their data after 10 failed attempts.
The fact that hacking the phone did not require a professional tech firm again calls into question why the agency had sought to compel Apple to help through court orders. Experts had repeatedly pointed out that hacking last year’s generation of Apple products was not difficult to accomplish.
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The FBI has said the software will not work on newer models, presumably either the iPhone 5s or variations of the iPhone 6. More recent incarnations of Apple’s operating system offer six-digit passcodes and other enhanced security features behind the scenes.
Officials are now considering whether to disclose the vulnerability to Apple, though the company has said it will not sue the government to obtain it.
