A massive leak revealed the inner workings gray keyA powerful phone unlocking tool widely used by law enforcement for digital forensics. Detailed information about its capabilities, including new iPhones with iOS 18, has been made public for the first time.

Leaked documents originally shared by 404 Media show that Graykey can still unlock many iPhones, but there are limitations. It works on iPhone 12 to iPhone 16 series devices, but can only access partial data for those using the iOS 18.0.1 update on iOS 18 and below. Graykey doesn’t exactly deliver for users hoping to unplug everything from their devices; There is so much more out of his reach.

The big difference with this leak is that it doesn’t make clear what Graykey can do with iPhones running iOS 18.1, which was released last month. It looks like Graykey hasn’t caught up with this release yet and the phones are running beta versions of iOS 18. Never mind, Graykey can’t unlock these at all. 404 Media has provided full versions of the leak here and here.

While Graykey’s work on iPhone has become increasingly difficult due to Apple’s constant security updates, its performance on Android devices is not so good. It can partially unlock data from Google Pixel devices (up to Pixel 9), but only if the phone is in a “Post First Unlock” state, meaning the device must have been unlocked at least once after booting.

This leak is a big deal because it gives us a rare look at what Graykey can and can’t actually do. Until then, his abilities had been shrouded in mystery. Forensic experts now have a much clearer idea of ​​the strengths and weaknesses of iPhone hacking.

But Graykey’s inability to unlock all data doesn’t mean its war with Apple and Google is over. In fact, this is all part of a long cat-and-mouse game. While Apple and Google make updates to protect user data, forensics companies like Grayshift and Cellebrite are working tirelessly to stay ahead; It tries to get around obstacles like USB limited mode, idle reboots, and other security measures Apple has implemented in recent years.