Report claims police have breached a key iOS security feature

A recent report from 404 Media reveals that Magnet Forensics, the developer of the GrayKey device used by law enforcement, has created a workaround for Apple's 'Inactivity Reboot' feature. This iOS security mechanism typically restarts an iPhone after 72 hours of inactivity, placing the device into a highly secure 'Before First Unlock' (BFU) state. The new tool, dubbed GrayKey Preserve, reportedly keeps devices in the less secure 'After First Unlock' (AFU) state, even after a restart, by potentially manipulating the system clock or blocking network signals. This allows investigators to access sensitive data, including iMessages and location history, that would otherwise be protected. Security experts warn that such exploits pose significant risks to user privacy, as these tools could potentially be used by unauthorized actors or authoritarian regimes to bypass encryption, highlighting the ongoing tension between law enforcement access and Apple's commitment to user data protection.