Hackers bypass Apple's iPhone 'kill switch'?

Published May 22, 2014 12:04pm

Hackers may have defeated Apple's equivalent of the "kill switch" that would make a stolen iPhone difficult if not impossible to resell, an Apple enthusiast site said.

"AquaXetine" and "MerrukTechnolog" from the Netherlands and Morocco claim to have bypassed the iCloud-based system to lock iOS devices, MacRumors reported.

"Using this technique, the hackers claim to have unlocked 30,000 iPhones in the past few days. The group allegedly contacted Apple about this vulnerability in March, but Apple never responded, prompting the hackers to go public with the information," MacRumors said.

Meanwhile, AquaXetine has denied exploiting an SSL bug to pull off the hack:

@MacRumors @kellyhodgkins lol ssl bug ? No xD

— AquaXetine (@AquaXetine) May 21, 2014

Citing a report by Dutch-language publication De Telegraaf, MacRumors said the hackers pulled off the feat by placing a computer "between" the iPhone and Apple's servers, fooling the iPhone into thinking the hacker's computer is Apple's server.

Once Apple's Activation Lock is bypassed this way, thieves can resell stolen phones on the black market, while getting access to Apple ID passwords and personal information in iCloud. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

Tags: apple, hacking, appleiphone, cybersecurity