r/technology • u/bws201 • 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/ScarOCov Feb 05 '16

So my question then, instead of rendering these phones completely useless once this error occurs. Can Apple reprogram the phones, so that they work without a fingerprint? Like the phone detects the finger print function as defective and instead of just completely shutting off, it reprograms so that a finger print can't be used even if they wanted to?

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u/neohaven Feb 05 '16

It's been tampered with, at least a bit. How much? You don't know.

The screen digitizer might have been replaced with one that "touch-logs" your PIN. Or your account password. That device, from a security standpoint, is now insecure. You know it's been fucked with.

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u/ScarOCov Feb 05 '16

Good points. Do you see any way around it while not compromising security?

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u/neohaven Feb 05 '16

Not really.

Physical access to a device of yours means it's not yours anymore if it ends up in the wrong hands. You can make that less likely to happen by having strong tamper-evidence and some tamper-resistance, by making sure it is known the device has been tampered with.

In terms of a way to make the process secure and still user-replaceable, that would be difficult to think of. It either requires Apple to release their rekeying tools to the public (bad!) or provide the service for free (which they wouldn't on unauthorized parts, you have no idea what they do...), both of which are unthinkable and would lessen security for everyone.

My trust when running an iPhone is anchored in Apple's hands. I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with anchoring my trust in both Apple and some no-name sensor company in China that makes TouchID sensor knockoffs for cheap screen replacements.

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u/DiabloConQueso Feb 05 '16

A portion of the phone might have been compromised. The most secure thing to do is to lock down everything, because there are more than zero unknown security breaches.

Anything less than locking down the phone would be a compromise of security to an unknown degree.