Cellebrite ca n’t crack iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later

iPhone 15 Pro Max
Leaked documents claim Cellebrite software, used by law enforcement agencies, cannot unlock more recent models than the iPhone XR (2018) if they have been updated to iOS 17.4. Cellebrite is known for its strict confidentiality regarding how it unlocks iPhones. It has asked its law enforcement clients to not divulge this information. While its methods and tools are not disclosed, a document from April 2024 listing the iPhones that it can unlock was leaked. According to 404 Media two documents were sent anonymously by a Cellebrite client to the publication. One document covered iPhones and one covered Android. The documents contain a matrix listing the types of phones, ranges for iOS updates, and unlocking methods. The model/iOS matrix lists sections that are “Coming Soon” or “in research.” Specific iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models are listed as “Coming Soon” from iOS 17.1 up to iOS 17.3.1. The current list shows that they can be unlocked until iOS 17.0.3. Cellebrite capabilities shown in a section of a leaked Cellebrite document (Source: 404 media)As per the document’s date of April 2024, these models of iPhones are not yet unlocked if running iOS 17.4 and later: iPhone XR. iPhone XS. iPhone XS max.
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone SE (second generation), iPhone SE (third generation)
iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max
Each of these are listed as “in research.” Cellebrite could unlock these iPhones in the future, and it may have already done so. The iPhone 15 Plus is a clear omission, but the data was taken from a section of the document to allow it to be listed separately. It is unlikely that this model is vulnerable, when the rest is not. Cellebrite appears to be able to unlock iPhones older than five-years if the user has not updated their iOS version. In February 2024 it was reported that 76% active iPhones were running the initial iOS 17 release. 20% were still on iOS 16 and 4% were still on older versions. Apple released iOS 17.4 on March 20, 2024. In May 2024, iOS 17.5 was released.