Newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, (via Reuters), says Israeli mobile forensic software company Cellebrite is aiding the FBI in their attempt to unlock the iPhone 5c used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. If the attempt succeeds, the FBI will be able to drop its request for assistance from Apple, the maker of the iPhone in question.
Cellebrite, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sun Corp, has its revenue split between two businesses: a forensics system used by law enforcement, military and intelligence that retrieves data hidden inside mobile devices and technology for mobile retailers.
The U.S. Deaprtment of Justice on Monday asked a federal court to postpone a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, which was set to review an order requiring Apple to build a version of iOS that allow the Bureau to use a “brute foirce” method of unlocking the iPhone in question. Monday’s request for the delay said only that an “ouside party” had shown the FBI a possible methods of unlocking the iPhone, and if the method was successful, it would no longer need to ask for Apple’s aid.
The government has been given until April 5th to update the court as to any progress made unlocking the device. Apple has indicated that it will request information about any vulnerability in iOS that might allow unlocking a device in the manner the FBI will be attempting.
If the unlocking attempt doesn’t prove successful, the FBI will likely once again make an attempt to use the courts to force Apple to come to its aid, via the Bureau’s own interpretation of the All Writs Act. A decision in such a case for either side could set a precedent that would affect all future cases of this type.
