ElcomSoft's Phone Forensics Software Offers Near Real-Time Access to iCloud Backups

elcomsoft phone password breakerRussian forensics firm ElcomSoft earlier this week announced that it has discovered a way to easily access iCloud backups of iOS devices, incorporating the functionality into its Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker software. While the Apple ID and password must be known in order to access the iCloud data, once that information has been obtained the software makes it easy for investigators to download full iCloud backups and then follow incremental backups in near real-time to track a device's use without the knowledge of the user.

ElcomSoft researchers analyzed the communication protocol connecting iPhone users with Apple iCloud, and were able to emulate the correct commands in order to retrieve the content of iOS users’ iCloud storage. It’s important to note that, unlike offline backups that may come encrypted and must be broken into (a time-consuming operation), data retrieved from iCloud is received in plain, unencrypted form . The 5GB of storage space can be retrieved in reasonable time, while receiving incremental updates is even faster.

Obtaining a user's Apple ID password may not always be trivial, but ElcomSoft tools can also be used to capture that information from offline backups stored in iTunes. And of course if the user disables iCloud syncing on its device or changes the Apple ID password, remote access is lost.

ElcomSoft has been at the forefront of development of password-cracking tools, last year incorporating a tool to bypass hardware encryption included in iOS 4. Such tools are increasingly being used by law enforcement to aid their investigations as smartphones become increasingly common and collect a growing amount of information about users and their activity.

ElcomSoft offers several levels of its software, with the most powerful versions restricted to certain governmental agencies, including law enforcement, intelligence services, and other qualified forensic organizations.

Top Rated Comments

Peace Avatar
154 months ago
One more reason not to rely on iCloud backups.

One more reason to question internet laws.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dustinsc Avatar
154 months ago
I sure hope law enforcement has to have a warrant to use this sort of thing.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KPOM Avatar
154 months ago
One more reason not to rely on iCloud backups.

More precisely, this is a reason to be a bit suspicious of the cloud in general.

Another security fiasco from Apple putting their users data at risk. You simply can't trust this company anymore for providing secure robust solutions for their users. They just don't put due effort and involvement in software development.

This is not limited to Apple. While I'm sure that, as a consumer-oriented service, Apple's iCloud is likely less secure than other cloud solutions, don't think that other services are exactly risk-free, either. A lot of enterprises restrict or limit the use of iCloud or Google's cloud services on iOS and Android phones and tablets for this very reason. For instance, as a condition of allowing iPhones and iPads onto our Exchange server, my employer requires us to install a profile that turns off iCloud document sharing.

The cloud is a great convenience, but it brings with it a brand new set of security issues.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anjinha Avatar
154 months ago
Why aren't you mad at Apple for having such security flaws. This is Apples MO after all. Ignore all security issues until the media blows it up, then point the finger for 2 months, then quietly release a security fix with no explanation.

What security flaws? If someone has my iCloud password they can simply restore an iPhone with my iCloud backup. And if they have physical access to my iTunes backup it means they have my computer which has all the data in iCloud anyway!
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RMo Avatar
154 months ago
One more reason not to rely on iCloud backups.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WestonHarvey1 Avatar
154 months ago
So someone has to have your password to get into your iCloud account, which is how iCloud works in the first place.

Someone can theoretically get your password out of an iTunes backup. If someone has access to your Mac's filesystem, you've got bigger problems, and they probably already have access to all the information you had in iCloud anyway.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...