Leaked Documents Show What Phones Secretive Tech 'Graykey' Can Unlock

Primarily used by law enforcement, Graykey unlocks mobile devices to extract data from both Android and iOS systems, according to the blog AppleInsider, 'though its effectiveness varies depending on the specific hardware and software involved.'

But while its capabilities are rarely disclosed, 'a leak of some Grayshift's internal documents was recently reported on by 404 Media.'

According to the data, Graykey can only perform 'partial' data retrieval from iPhones running iOS 18 and iOS 18.0.1. These versions were released in September and early October, respectively. A partial extraction likely includes unencrypted files and metadata, such as folder structures and file sizes, according to past reports. Notably, Graykey struggles with beta versions of iOS 18.1. Under the latest update, the tool fails to extract any data, as per the documents.
Meanwhile, Graykey's performance with Android phones varies, largely due to the diversity of devices and manufacturers. On Google's Pixel lineup, Graykey can only partially access data from the latest Pixel 9 when in an 'After First Unlock' (AFU) state — where the phone has been unlocked at least once since being powered on.

Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader AmiMoJo for sharing the article.

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