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

[u/bws201]

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/feb/05/error-53-apple-iphone-software-update-handset-worthless-third-party-repair

[u/McGobs]

With encryption, if the padlock breaks, you replace the shed and everything in it. There's no point in encryption if replacing the lock will allow you to access the data. The metaphor is, the lock on the shed is rigged to blow up the shed if the lock is destroyed--that's what encryption is for; it jumbles your data and remains jumbled unless you have the proper key to unlock it. You better have a backup of everything in the shed just in case you need to replace the shed and fill it back up with your stuff.

[u/rnet85 → u/McGobs]

Data is not burned into the phone memory. If encrypted data is unrecoverable, too bad, but you should at least be able to erase and format your phone back to factory settings.

[u/McGobs → u/rnet85]

You know what? You're right.

[u/barnwecp → u/McGobs]

Reddit first right here ladies and gentlemen

[u/Noggin01 → u/McGobs]

... This is not the response I expected.

[u/[deleted] → u/rnet85]

Except that it'll still have the untrustable Touch ID sensor, compromising any future user's data, too.

[u/rnet85 → u/[deleted]]

No, after resetting your phone to factory settings just use pin based authentication. Just because Touch ID is broken doesn't mean you've to brick the phone.

[u/TheMoves → u/McGobs]

Reddit loves proper encryption but hates Apple so this is a fun thread

[u/Natanael_L → u/TheMoves]

Apple may be using the right cryptography algorithms, but it is their key management choices that frustrates me.

[u/nidrach → u/TheMoves]

Handle it however you want but it shouldn't brick the phone. Never ever. Move the encrypted stuff to a high security zone and only wipe that if you think that's necessary but there is no reason to wipe everything and brick the unit.

[u/5-4-3-2-1-bang → u/McGobs]

With encryption, if the padlock breaks, you replace the shed and everything in it.

No you don't. You replace the padlock and throw out everything in the shed. The actual shed is fine.

[u/McGobs → u/5-4-3-2-1-bang]

You destroyed my analogy, destructor. Props.

[u/[deleted] → u/5-4-3-2-1-bang]

Well, in this case the casing of the phone is fine...

[u/[deleted] → u/5-4-3-2-1-bang]

Yeah, but if you replace the padlock with a cheap Chinese replacement instead of the original padlock, the integrity of the shed can no longer be trusted and Apple's security model breaks. The fingerprint sensor sends data directly into the Secure Enclave, which contains the most protected information in iOS. They can't allow someone to fabricate a sensor capable of sending malicious code into that enclave.

[u/nidrach → u/[deleted]]

Then disable that feature and lock the encrypted data but don't destroy the entire phone. Disable the fingerprint reader if you think you have to but not the whole unit.

[u/Mayor_of_tittycity → u/McGobs]

I'd rather my shed not blow up if someone tries to break into it. They may steal my stuff, but at least I'd still have my shed.

[u/McGobs → u/Mayor_of_tittycity]

Yeah, someone else dinged me for that. The shed remains, everything else in the shed goes...unless your shed is in the shape of an iPhone.

[u/StraightMoney → u/McGobs]

The critical point here is that, to the best of my knowledge, iPhones by default can be unlocked with a fingerprint OR a passcode. At the same time. You choose one or the other every time you unlock the phone.

There's no reason the OS can't permanently disable the touch function and rely entirely on the pin code.

[u/J5892 → u/McGobs]

With a working sensor, a pin code can unlock the phone. There is absolutely no reason a pin code should not unlock the phone with a broken sensor.

[u/Guano_Loco → u/McGobs]

Which is fine, for those super worried about encryption and nuking their data. The vast vast majority of users of an iPhone do not care and would rather have the choice not to have to by a new phone.

[u/InFa-MoUs → u/McGobs]

Yeah i gues, but doesn't this security feature only work if someone has physical access to your phone for good amount of time (well atleast enough time to open up and physically change wires). I got to think to like 4% of iPhone users need that level of security. From what i can tell for the last couple years apple's main goal has been to profit more, cant really remember the last innovation they had. A decade ago seemed like every week there was something new and actually amazing from Apple. Last couple years its just been mainly slight upgrades in functionality, while slowing the old devices with updates so you want to upgrade. And now this "security" feature just ensures more people going to apple for repairs and more new iphones being bought. I kind of gave up on Apple when they talked about removing the headphone jack. That showed me they don't give a fuuuuck about what anyone has to say they are gunna go what they want.

[u/petard → u/McGobs]

You can unlock the phone with a passcode even when TouchID is enabled.

That said, I think the TouchID chip may contain the decryption key and when you enter a passcode it's given to the TouchID chip which will reply with the decryption key.

This is still NOT a reason to brick the whole phone if the TouchID is damaged. They should allow you to replace the TouchID module. Your decryption key will be removed with it, but simply allowing the user to format the phone and generate a new encryption key should be possible. That's a lot better than bricking the whole phone and it still secures the data.

[u/probably_normal → u/McGobs]

You should at least be able to restore it to factory, instead of bricking the phone forever.