Law enforcement groups usually have a special hacking tool to access a device like an iPhone. With Graykey, they can bypass any security hindrance of a smartphone and this can reportedly access iPhone 16 parts. If you're familiar with Cellebrite, it works somehow like it.
Unfortunately, it was recently found out that it fails on iOS 18 betas. Here's what you need to know about this contentious hacking tool, its capabilities, and how you should protect your iPhone.
What is Graykey and How Does It Work?
Graykey is a useful hacking tool developed by Grayshift—an organization that has since rebranded as Magnet Forensics. 9to5Mac reports that this tool can be compared to what Cellebrite is offering as we mentioned a while ago.
The Graykey makes the connection to locked iPhones and exploits the vulnerability in Apple's security to get access to information. Both the Graykey and Cellebrite use zero-day vulnerabilities-uncovered security flaws that Apple did not know about until now, which hackers sell for profit.
Read More: Apple Hopes $100 Million Investment Proposal Could Convince Indonesia to Stop iPhone 16 Ban
What is Graykey Tool Capable Of When it Comes to iPhones?
According to leaked documents that 404Media accessed, Graykey fully accesses iPhone 11 models but only offers "partial" access for iPhones 12 through 16.
This means that the security systems developed by Apple began to become much more robust from iPhone 12 and up.
The word "partial" remains ambiguous, but it could mean Graykey can only recover unencrypted files or metadata from encrypted ones, limiting the amount of data it can get from those newer models.
What's New with iOS 18 and Graykey?
Graykey is unable to access any iOS 18 betas. According to the leaked table, all devices that come up with at least one version of the iOS 18 beta have "none" listed for access, meaning that Graykey can unlock them completely.
Because of the greater security built into iOS 18, it doesn't allow Graykey to take advantage of its vulnerabilities. It remains unclear whether Magnet is working to break through these new updates or if there simply aren't enough devices running iOS 18 to justify the effort.
iPhone Protection Against Hacking Tools
The best defense against hacking tools like Graykey is to keep your iPhone 16 updated regularly with the latest version of iOS. While keeping your software up-to-date is usually the most effective protection, there are always some users still at risk of potential danger, especially if there's a new vulnerability discovered in the latest updates.
For example, on the iPad mini 5, running iPadOS 18.0, partial access was permitted; however, the update to iPadOS 18.0.1 closed that gap, so don't forget to keep your devices current.
How Law Enforcement Utilizes Graykey
It is worth noting that Graykey and others like it need access to the device in question for it to be of use. The odds of their chances of hacking into one's device are further reduced by their limited sale directly to law enforcement agencies. Nevertheless, the company continues to enhance its security systems to limit the vulnerability of these tools, hence making devices harder to hack into.
