Reply to post: Re: Honest Question

US DoJ files motion to compel Apple to obey FBI iPhone crack order

JeffyPoooh
Pint

Re: Honest Question

"...the contents of the phone are seriously encrypted..."

The 'serious' encryption is universally the XOR function. The key is the key. As the data store size obviously greatly exceeds the key length, there's usually a pseudo-random nounce (number used once); i.e. deterministic noise.

The "contents" are likely 32GB of data, which will include at least several GB of 'Known Text' distributed throughout the memory space. For example, a long list of downloaded songs known to exist in the encrypted contents. The flash memory is presumably accessible, one way or another. De-soldering, or JTAG, or some such.

The WWII Enigma machine had billions and billions of combinations in the 'keyspace', but because they sent weather reports in standard format, and ended with "HEIL HILTER", the nearly-infinite rotor settings fell out each morning in about 20 minutes. Churchill was reading the German Enigma messages before the intended recipient.

I'm NOT saying that the iPhone can be cracked using old pulse dial mechanical telephone switches the way Turing et al did it. I'm just saying that the 'Known Text' attack now has several GB of big fat target.

If they've used their nounce (number used once) even twice, then they're dead.

Far too many people stop and stare at the key length, do the 2^N math, and are dazzled by the billions of years. That's why they don't crack codes that way.

It would be extraordinary that the iPhone 5C just happens to represent the first uncrackable encryption system. So many have claimed that, all have failed so far.

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