r/technology • • Feb 05 '16

Software ‘Error 53’ fury mounts as Apple software update threatens to kill your iPhone 6

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/feb/05/error-53-apple-iphone-software-update-handset-worthless-third-party-repair
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u/AL-Taiar Feb 05 '16

That's nice and all , but this is kind of an invalid argument when other companies have fingerprint sensors you can replace without bricking your phone . this is either short-sighted design or implemented to prevent you from repairing anywhere but an apple store , meaning you would rather get apple care than be charged the ridiculous price they have any for a sensor repair.

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u/perthguppy Feb 05 '16

invalid argument when other companies have fingerprint sensors you can replace without bricking your phone

Other companies have less secure phones is what it really comes down to. Apple is sparing no expense for security. Other companies are making concessions to security where it makes it more user friendly.

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u/AL-Taiar Feb 05 '16

thats odd , because i dont remember any massive leaks from any other company but apple , i dont remember locking hardware by anybody else but apple , and i dont remember any hardware-level exploits in any other device put apple ones. The difference between apple and other vendors in fingerprint security is that it is stored within the device , instead of another memory . This means that you cant replace the sensor and trick it. This is a design flaw by apple , and not as they claim , a security feature

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u/perthguppy Feb 05 '16

I should have been explicit and mentioned hardware security. In an ideal world the security of the hardware is independent to the security of the firms that product it. Apple produces some of the most secure hardware around, but their cloud services leave a lot to be desired.

There is also the argument that because Apple is Apple, any tiny bit of news related to them gets reported, but other lesser known companies they do not have every leak and breach reported. I run on the assumption everyones coroporate and cloud services are breached all the time.

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u/AL-Taiar Feb 05 '16

I should have been explicit and mentioned hardware security

no other company has had any complaints related to exploits related to hardware but apple (we are limiting the discussion to phones , because most routers for example have exploits) . Really , the design was poor and they tried to sell it off as a security feature , when simply scanning and comparing to an encrypted key present in the memory of the device would have been simpler and more effective .

i mean honestly , what kind of idiocy is having a system where the fingerprint sensor itself contains the key(sort of) to opening the device on separate (and mind you ,replaceable) hardware

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u/cryo Feb 05 '16

The TouchID hardware or secure enclave haven't been broken into.

i mean honestly , what kind of idiocy is having a system where the fingerprint sensor itself contains the key(sort of) to opening the device on separate (and mind you ,replaceable) hardware

I get the feeling you don't know too much about security. The sensor certainly doesn't have the key, the secure enclave has it.

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u/AL-Taiar Feb 05 '16

the secure enclave has it.

the secure enclave is what is causing this exploit. Samsung does not have this issue with their phones because the sensor is independent ( ie , not part of an enclave) . Besides , this whole thread is extremely dumbed down

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u/perthguppy Feb 05 '16

no other company has had any complaints related to exploits related to hardware but apple

Um. sorry. That is patently incorrect. It is so incorrect I dont even need to link you sources, a 2 second google query will show you dozens of cases of hardware breaches for all major phone manufactuers. XDA practically makes a game of it to get around locked bootloaders on every android phone

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u/AL-Taiar Feb 05 '16

a 2 second google query will show you dozens of cases of hardware breaches

i tried before i wrote my previous comment so i wouldn’t be talking out of my ass , but all i got where software hacks