FBI Hacks iPhone 11 Pro Max

The FBI has recently required Apple to unlock two iPhones allegedly used by the shooter at a Florida naval base, but as it turns out, the investigators might actually not need the company’s help to extract data from these devices.

A report from Forbes reveals that the FBI recently turned to third-party hacking tools to break into an iPhone 11 Pro Max, also involved in a criminal investigation.

iPhone 11 Pro Max is the latest-generation iPhone and is believed to offer the most advanced encryption system. This is the first report of an iPhone 11 unlocked by law enforcement.

The FBI did not confirm that the iPhone 11 Pro Max was hacked with a third-party tool, but the owner’s lawyer said his client never provided his password and other means of unlocking the device were not possible (such as Face ID). The device was locked with a password, he confirmed.

The iPhone belonged to Baris Ali Koch, who allegedly helped his brother, who was previously sentenced to 30 months in prison for hate crime and lying to federal agents, flee the country using a duplicate driver’s license.

FBI still pressuring Apple to unlock iPhones

Since the FBI managed to break into the most secure iPhones to date, it’s very clear the investigators already have the necessary means to break into Apple’s devices without any help from the Cupertino-based tech giant.

And yet, FBI investigators are still pressuring Apple to unlock iPhones, with US President Donald Trump himself calling for the company to step in and help law enforcement extract data from devices involved in criminal investigations.

“We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements. They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Donald Trump tweeted.

The iPhones that the FBI wants Apple to hack in the Pensacola investigation are iPhone 7 and iPhone 7, both of which can be unlocked with hardware boxes like GrayKey.