#Cellebrite

[mirrorreview]

Heather Mahalik is a highly experienced professional in the field of digital forensics, currently serving as the Senior Director of Digital Intelligence at Cellebrite. With over 20 years of expertise in handling high-stress and high-profile cases, she has made significant contributions to the investigation and resolution of diverse criminal activities, ranging from child exploitation to the examination of digital media associated with Osama Bin Laden. Heather’s extensive background includes collaborating with law enforcement agencies, eDiscovery firms, and the federal government to extract and decode critical artifacts crucial to solving complex investigations worldwide. She is renowned as a co-author of the bestselling book “Practical Mobile Forensics,” published by Packt Publishing, and holds key roles at the SANS Institute, serving as the DFIR Curriculum Lead, Faculty Fellow Instructor, and co-author for FOR585: Smartphone Forensic Analysis In-Depth.

[shatteredlesbian]

Yeah so read a little into that thing n found out about the whole thing I was trying to look into when I was deep into my psychotic episode thinking my phone was bugged and a whole bunch of other shit

[darkmaga-retard]

An estimated 1.6 billion people rely on VPNs to carry out the most sensitive tasks online, from watching illegal videos to engaging in sexual or political activities

Etienne de la Boetie2

Sep 18, 2024

by Alan Macleod

An estimated 1.6 billion people rely on VPNs to carry out the most sensitive tasks online, from watching illegal videos to engaging in sexual or political activities. But few people know that a considerable chunk of that market—including three of the six most popular VPNs—is quietly operated by an Israeli-owned company with close connections to that country’s national security state, including the elite Unit 8200 and Duvdevan Units of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Previous MintPress News investigations into Israel’s growing control over the tech industry have outlined how those units have been involved in many of Israel’s most outrageous hacking, surveillance and assassination programs, acting as spies and death squads. Unit 8200, for example, has been the source of much of the world’s most infamous spying software, including Cellebrite and Pegasus, the program used to snoop on tens of thousands of the world’s top politicians and journalists, including by Saudi Arabia, who used it to help track down and kill Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Given this context, justifiable fears arise that control over a vast VPN empire could add to Israel’s influence over the online information and security world, creating backdoors for Israeli intelligence to carry out a vast kompromat operation on users around the globe.

This investigation is part of a series highlighting and detailing the power of Israel’s growing tech industry to access and control people’s data.

[snarp]

Do any Tumblr or Neopets staff members want my job as IT manager of a small law firm in rural Appalachia. It involves a lot of, y'know, designing batch operations for preparing documentation/mailings for cases with 100x more clients than we have staff; reformatting Cellebrite output so elderly civil rights lawyers/clients can read it; noticing that the Cellebrite output is for a different person entirely's phone or has been fucked with; trying to prevent lawyers from accidentally breaching confidentiality due to confusion about how social networking sites work; putting a Jimmy Buffett ringtone on the senior partner's phone; etc. Pays $11.50/hr if you're me but my degree was in Japanese history so you can ask for more.

[garudabluffs]

PERHAPS MORE than any other book published in recent years, The Palestine Laboratory demonstrates why Israel is a menace, not only to Palestinians and other Arabs whose countries it has invaded or bombed at one time or another, but really to people around the globe. Anyone who criticizes or mobilizes against their own authoritarian governments will likely have to contend with an Israeli weapon or technology designed to enhance government control over them and make dissent costly, if not impossible.

READ MORE https://www.wrmea.org/middle-east-books-and-more/the-palestine-laboratory-how-israel-exports-the-technology-of-occupation-around-the-world.html

Antony Loewenstein: Israel Is Testing New Weapons on Gaza as Arms Dealers Profit from Gaza War

NOVEMBER 14, 2023 Worldwide protests calling for a ceasefire are drawing attention to the role of weapons manufacturers and distributors supplying machinery to Israel’s assault on Gaza, with demonstrators blocking shipping tankers and entrances to weapons factories, and unionized workers refusing to handle military materiel over the war in Gaza. There is “a growing public awareness and anger” about the global connection between Western powers and the Israeli military industry, says Antony Loewenstein, who has investigated how Israeli weaponry and surveillance technology are used on Palestinians and exported around the world. “Israel is already, as we speak … live-testing new weapons in Gaza,” says Loewenstein. He also discusses what he characterizes as the “intelligence” and “political” failures of the October 7 Hamas incursion.

LISTEN READ MORE Transcript https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/14/israel_weapons

LINKS

"The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World"

19 October 2023

"Although we had always heard that people could be monitored through cell phones, we did not imagine that this could happen to us." +"When people ask us for something, we cannot afford to ask questions about ideology. The only type of regime that Israel would not aid would be one that is anti-American. Also, if we can aid a country that it may be inconvenient for the US to help, we would be cutting off our nose to spite our face not to.’ There’s rarely been a more honest appraisal of Israel’s entire weapons industry."

ISRAEL’S INSURANCE POLICY =>>"Israel’s arms sector, and its spyware industry in particular, is an insurance policy against political headwinds that may develop against the occupation."

"The lack of serious oversight benefits one actor in particular – Israel. As the lead exporter of these tools, the state is at the forefront of the intrusion technology industry. Founded in 2010, NSO Group Technologies Ltd is just one firm among a wider ecosystem of Israeli cyber-weapons companies. Of the 75 governments that have procured spyware and digital forensic technologies worldwide, 56 bought them from firms that are either based in or connected to Israel, such as NSO Group, Cellebrite, Cytrox and Candiru. These deals are all monitored and approved by the Israeli Ministry of Defence.

For Israel, spyware is not just a highly lucrative industry, but a strategic weapon to curry diplomatic favour."

[hackernewsrobot]

Cellebrite asks cops to keep its phone hacking tech ‘hush hush’

https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/19/cellebrite-asks-cops-to-keep-its-phone-hacking-tech-hush-hush/

[bopinion]

2023 / 07

Aperçu of the Week:

"Success has two letters: Do!"

(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Bad News of the Week:

The only serious competition to Silicon Valley is neither in Europe nor in the Far East, but between the Dead, the Red and the Mediterranean Sea: Israel. Unfortunately. Because it's rather frightening innovations that come out of the more than 300 development and research centers around Tel Aviv. And I don't mean the energy that the state puts into cutting-edge technology for the military, surveillance and espionage. But rather the focus that private-sector companies in the region have also chosen.

Three examples: Cellebrite openly advertises that it can crack iDevices. Much to the delight of the FBI, for example, because Apple had refused to crack iPhones for U.S. authorities or to build a backdoor into their encryption. The questionable services are open to any organization, even criminal ones, for a fee, as if it were a normal IT service.

NSO became a global player in commercial spyware. A market that has grown into an industry estimated to be worth twelve billion dollars, estimates The New Yorker. Their tool named Pegasus was found on the phones of politicians, activists, and dissidents under repressive regimes. The suppression of the Catalan independence movement and the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi with the help of this spyware are documented.

And just last week, investigative media revealed Team Jorge's business model: professional spreading of fake news to influence elections. They were hired for 32 campaigns, 27 of which were verifiably successful, they say. Yes, political success can be bought - at the expense of the opposition.

What these three examples have in common is a perfidious "not giving a fuck" attitude, which goals are pursued and also achieved with their help. For these are clearly directed against such trivialities as free democracy, independent media, functional rule of law or transparent power apparatuses. The main thing is that the money is right. The framework conditions for this seem to be optimal in Israel, of all places. And when I look at the position of Benjamin Netanyahu's newly enthroned right-wing government against an independent judiciary or free media, this will not change.

Good News of the Week:

In mid-February, Munich always hosts the "Munich Security Conference" (MSC), the world's most important meeting of top politicians on international security. While last year appeals to Russia not to attack Ukraine dominated - we all know what happened a few days later - this time it is about the concrete handling of the war that initiated the much-cited "turning point in time":

The unexpectedly dysfunctional NATO is strengthening internally (higher defense budgets) and externally (Sweden and Finland want to join the alliance), new bloc formations are emerging, the arms industry can no longer keep up with demand, Europe is groaning under a wave of refugees, economic sanctions by the West are turning out to be far less effective than expected, Putin is not wavering. War has become the order of the day.

Major strategic news is not to be expected. All countries have already clearly positioned themselves. From clear, even military support for Ukraine (e.g. all NATO members) to an effort of neutrality based on energy policy (e.g. India or Latin America) to support for the Putin course (e.g. Belarus, Syria or Myanmar). All countries have already taken a clear position? No - the elephant in the room is China.

The youngest major security power calls for peace, but does not name Russia as the aggressor. And just yesterday launched "Operation Mosi II," a joint large-scale naval maneuver with Russia and South Africa off the latter's Indian Ocean coast. So there was little hope that the Middle Kingdom - seen by almost all observers as the only power with de facto influence over the Kremlin - would actively do anything to defuse the conflict.

But then Wang Yi, longtime foreign minister of the People's Republic of China, entered the Munich stage - and stunned. By announcing a peace initiative to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, he said, "We will put something forward. And that is the Chinese position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis," the Politburo member said Saturday, according to an official translation. "We will stand steadfastly on the side of peace and dialogue." For a safer world, he said, "the principles of the UN Charter are something we must uphold." Good. Very good. Now words just need to be followed by action.

Personal happy moment of the week:

In our countryside, there are plenty of typical Bavarian inns. And, as everywhere, countless Italians and Asians. Rarer are nice cafés where you can have a good breakfast. One we have - thanks to a voucher that I already got last year for my birthday - tried today. Very good coffee, a manageable but balanced menu. With regional products and in a former monastery building. It was worth it. It's always nice to start the Sunday with a delicious breakfast.

I couldn't care less...

...that Ukraine has requested cluster bombs and chemical weapons on the MSC. These are internationally outlawed because they cause massive collateral damage in violation of international law - including to the civilian population. That Russia is not caring about this may be, is even probable. Nevertheless, this quid pro quo logic is too weak for me. If they go low, you (still should) go high.

As I write this...

...I am mourning a little Lothar Wieler quitting his job. As head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) he was the Anthony Fauci of Germany. And yet more than just the side kick of the respective health minister. As a politically independent person, he moderated the pandemic in a serious but calm manner. He analyzed, commented, admonished and annoyed. Far away from the day-to-day political business. Against his will, he became a media star, even though he much preferred to sit in the lab and work on his figures. He did what he thought he had to do. Tormented by the thought that "even one more child must die". Big shoes to fill.

Post Scriptum

To be climate neutral, each person should only emit less than one ton of CO2 or similar greenhouse gases per year - currently the average is 11.6 tons. Far ahead of the consumption of beef or air travel to the South, individual transport is the main polluter: the Germans' favorite child, the car. But the will in this country to rely on electromobility seems to be driven more by financial interests than by actual conviction. When gasoline was expensive and electric cars were tax-subsidized in 2022, there was a boom. That plummeted dramatically over the turn of the year, with 83 percent fewer fully electric cars and 87 percent fewer plug-in hybrids registered in January 2023 compared to the previous month. Sigh...

[eunicemiddleton421]

Can Private Investigators Retrieve Deleted Text Messages?

In today’s digital age, text messaging has become one of the primary modes of communication. From casual chats to business transactions, vital information is often shared through SMS or instant messaging apps. But what happens when these messages are deleted? Can they be retrieved, and if so, how? This question becomes particularly pertinent in the realm of private investigations, where uncovering hidden or erased information can be crucial to solving a case. This blog will delve into whether private investigators can retrieve deleted text messages, how they might do so, and the legal and technical challenges they face.

The Importance of Text Messages in Investigations

Text messages often play a pivotal role in various types of investigations. Whether it’s a case of infidelity, corporate espionage, or criminal activity, the information stored in text messages can serve as compelling evidence. The rise of instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram has only increased the relevance of digital communications in investigative work. However, people often delete these messages, either to protect their privacy or to cover their tracks, leading to the question: can deleted text messages be recovered?

The Basics of Text Message Deletion

When a text message is deleted, it doesn’t immediately vanish into thin air. Instead, the message is often marked as deleted and the space it occupies is marked as available for new data. Until that space is overwritten by new information, the deleted data may still exist in the device’s memory. This is where data recovery techniques come into play.

Data Recovery: The Technical Perspective

Private investigators use various data recovery methods to retrieve deleted text messages. These methods rely on understanding the underlying technology of data storage and deletion. Here are some of the most common techniques:

Forensic Software Tools: Specialized forensic tools are designed to recover deleted data from electronic devices. These tools can scan a device’s memory for remnants of deleted text messages and other data. Examples of such software include Cellebrite, EnCase, and Oxygen Forensic Suite. These tools are often used by law enforcement agencies and private investigators to extract information that is not accessible through regular means.

Physical Access to the Device: Physical access to the target device is usually necessary for data recovery. The investigator connects the device to a forensic workstation, where they can use the software tools to scan for deleted messages. In some cases, the device might need to be rooted or jailbroken, especially if the messages were deleted from an app with strong encryption like WhatsApp or Signal.

Cloud Backups: Many messaging apps and smartphones automatically back up data to the cloud. If the user hasn’t deleted these backups, a private investigator might be able to retrieve deleted messages by accessing these cloud backups. This method often requires obtaining the user’s credentials or legal permission to access the cloud account.

SIM Card Cloning: SIM card cloning can sometimes be used to retrieve deleted text messages. By creating a duplicate of the original SIM card, investigators may gain access to messages stored on the card. However, this method is less common due to the limited storage capacity of SIM cards and the prevalence of cloud storage.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

The ability to retrieve deleted text messages is not just a matter of technical expertise. Legal and ethical considerations play a significant role in how private investigators approach data recovery.

Legal Constraints

Consent: In most jurisdictions, retrieving deleted text messages without the consent of the device’s owner can be illegal. Unauthorized access to someone’s phone or cloud account could result in criminal charges, including violations of privacy and anti-hacking laws. Private investigators must navigate these legal constraints carefully to avoid crossing ethical and legal boundaries.

Court Orders and Subpoenas: In some cases, private investigators may work alongside law enforcement or attorneys who can obtain court orders or subpoenas. These legal instruments can compel phone companies or cloud service providers to release data, including deleted messages. However, this process is typically reserved for serious criminal investigations or civil litigation.

Admissibility in Court: Even if deleted messages are successfully retrieved, their admissibility in court may be challenged. The opposing side might argue that the data was obtained illegally or tampered with, leading to a potential exclusion of the evidence. This is why maintaining a clear chain of custody and following proper forensic procedures is crucial for private investigators.

Ethical Considerations

Client Integrity: Private investigators have a duty to uphold the integrity of their profession. Engaging in unethical practices, such as hacking or unauthorized access, can not only harm the investigator’s reputation but also jeopardize the case they are working on. It’s essential to maintain transparency with clients about the limitations and risks involved in retrieving deleted text messages.

Privacy Concerns: The retrieval of deleted text messages can infringe on an individual’s privacy rights. Private investigators must weigh the potential benefits of recovering such data against the ethical implications of violating someone’s privacy. This is particularly important in cases involving sensitive personal information.

Challenges in Retrieving Deleted Text Messages

While the technology to retrieve deleted text messages exists, it is not without its challenges. Various factors can influence the success rate of data recovery:

Time Sensitivity: As mentioned earlier, when a text message is deleted, it remains in the device’s memory until it is overwritten by new data. The longer the time since the message was deleted, the higher the likelihood that it has been overwritten, making recovery more difficult or even impossible.

Device Encryption: Many modern smartphones come with built-in encryption, which protects the data stored on the device. While this is a great feature for user privacy, it also makes data recovery more challenging. In some cases, even forensic tools might struggle to bypass encryption without the correct credentials.

App-Specific Challenges: Different messaging apps have varying levels of security and data retention policies. For example, WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted, and the app automatically deletes messages after a certain period if they are not backed up. On the other hand, apps like Telegram offer self-destructing messages that delete themselves after a set time, leaving no trace. These app-specific features can complicate the process of retrieving deleted messages.

Data Corruption: In some cases, the data related to deleted messages may be corrupted or incomplete, making recovery difficult. This can occur due to software glitches, hardware failures, or improper handling of the device after deletion.

Case Studies: Success and Failure in Message Retrieval

To better understand the real-world application of message retrieval, let’s explore a few case studies that highlight both the successes and challenges faced by private investigators:

Case Study 1: Recovering Deleted Messages in an Infidelity Case

In one instance, a private investigator was hired to confirm suspicions of infidelity. The client believed that their spouse was using text messages to communicate with a potential partner, but the spouse had deleted the messages. The investigator gained access to the spouse’s phone and used forensic software to recover several deleted messages that provided clear evidence of the affair. The recovered messages were crucial in the client’s decision to proceed with a divorce, and they were also presented as evidence in court, where they were deemed admissible.

Case Study 2: The Challenges of Encrypted Messages in a Corporate Espionage Investigation

In another case, a private investigator was hired by a company suspecting that one of its employees was leaking sensitive information to a competitor. The employee had been using a secure messaging app with end-to-end encryption, and they had deleted all conversations after sending them. Despite using advanced forensic tools, the investigator was unable to retrieve the deleted messages due to the app’s strong encryption protocols and lack of cloud backups. This case illustrates the limitations investigators face when dealing with modern encryption technologies.

Alternatives to Retrieving Deleted Text Messages

When direct retrieval of deleted text messages is not possible, private investigators often explore alternative methods to gather the needed information. Here are a few alternatives:

Metadata Analysis: While the content of the messages may be deleted, metadata related to those messages—such as timestamps, sender and receiver information, and message size—might still be recoverable. Metadata can provide valuable clues, even if the actual content is no longer accessible.

Witness Interviews: If retrieving the messages themselves is not possible, investigators might turn to individuals who were involved in the communication. Interviews with these witnesses can sometimes uncover the content of deleted messages or at least provide context.

Surveillance: In some cases, real-time surveillance of the suspect’s activities can provide alternative evidence that might replace the need for deleted messages. This could involve monitoring the suspect’s online activity, following their physical movements, or recording their conversations.

Social Engineering: Social engineering techniques can sometimes be used to gather information indirectly. For instance, investigators might trick the suspect into revealing details of the deleted messages or sending new messages that can be intercepted.

Conclusion

The retrieval of deleted text messages by private investigators is a complex process that depends on various technical, legal, and ethical factors. While it is possible to recover deleted messages under certain conditions, the success of such efforts is never guaranteed. The rapid advancement of encryption technologies and the increasing awareness of privacy have made it more challenging for investigators to access deleted data.

Private investigators must navigate these challenges with caution, ensuring that they adhere to legal constraints and ethical standards. When direct retrieval is not possible, they often rely on alternative methods to gather the necessary information. Ultimately, the role of a private investigator is to uncover the truth while respecting the boundaries of privacy and legality.

If you are considering hiring a private investigator to retrieve deleted text messages, it is essential to discuss the feasibility and legal implications of such an endeavor upfront. Understanding the limitations and challenges involved w

[tumnikkeimatome]

FBIがイスラエル企業『Cellebrite』に直接支援を要請し、トランプ前大統領を狙撃した容疑者のAndroidスマホのロックを40分で解除

事件の概要 トランプ前大統領を狙撃した容疑者が所持していたAndroidスマートフォンのロック解除に、FBIが苦心していました。 通常、このような高度なセキュリティを備えたデバイスのロック解除には数ヶ月を要することもあります。 しかし今回、FBIはイスラエルの技術企業Cellebrite社に直接支援を要請し、わずか40分でスマートフォンのロックを解除することに成功しました。 Cellebrite社の技術力 Cellebrite社は、モバイルデバイスのデータ抽出や解析を専門とする世界的なリーディングカンパニーです。 同社の製品は、世界150カ国以上の法執行機関や情報機関で使用されています。 今回のケースでは、FBIが所有していたCellebrite社のソフトウェアが最新のAndroidモデルに対応していなかったため、同社に直接支援を要請しました。 Cellebrite社は迅速に対応し、未リ…

[7ooo-ru]

Журналисты узнали, какие iPhone можно взломать

Особое ПО под названием Cellebrite использует полиция. С помощью этой программы ФБР взломало смартфон стрелка, совершившего покушение на Трампа.

Журналисты издания 404 Media ознакомились с документами израильской компании Cellebrite. Эта фирма является разработчиком одноименной программы, которую используют для взлома Android-смартфонов и iPhone.

Согласно документам, белые хакеры в силах взломать все iPhone с iOS 17.3 и более ранними версиями ОС. Также взлому поддаются iPhone 11-го поколения, iPhone XR, XS и более старые модели. iPhone 12 и более свежие модели пока взломать с помощью особого ПО нельзя, но в документах для этих моделей имеется приписка «скоро».

Ситуация с Android-смартфонами обстоит гораздо хуже. Доступный взлом есть практически для всех устройств на данной ОС. Исключениями являются модели Google Pixel 6-го и 7-го поколений. Хакеры не смогут получить доступ к ранее упомянутым смартфонам, если они находятся в выключенном состоянии.

В Cellebrite подтвердили, что опубликованные 404 Media документы настоящие. Они доступны к ознакомлению всем клиентам фирмы, чтобы пользователям ПО Cellebrite были понятны возможности программы.

ФБР использовало ПО израильской компании Cellebrite, чтобы получить доступ к смартфону Мэтью Крукса, стрелка на митинге Дональда Трампа. По данным Bloomberg, Cellebrite отправила спецслужбам новое ПО, работа над которым еще не завершена. Разблокировка заняла всего 40 минут. Модель смартфона, которая была во владении стрелка, не уточняется.

Подробнее https://7ooo.ru/group/2024/07/21/128-zhurnalisty-uznali-kakie-iphone-mozhno-vzlomat-grss-326021231.html

[pc7ooo]

iPhone на iOS 17.4 и новее оказалось невозможно взломать с помощью Cellebrite

Израильская компания Cellebrite, специализирующаяся на мобильной криминалистике, столкнулась с трудностями при попытке разблокировать (взломать) iPhone, работающие на операционной системе iOS 17.4 и более свежих версиях, согласно конфиденциальным документам, попавшим в распоряжение СМИ. Компания Cellebrite, известная своими инструментами для извлечения данных из мобильных устройств правоохранительными органами, не может на 100 % разблокировать iPhone последних версий iOS, сообщает Mac Rumors, со ссылкой на внутренние документы компании, попавшие в распоряжение издания 404 Media.

Подробнее на https://7ooo.ru/group/2024/07/21/263-iphone-na-ios-174-i-novee-okazalos-nevozmozhno-vzlomat-s-pomoschyu-cellebrite-grss-326105438.html

[ujjinatd]

¿Qué es Cellebrite y qué tipo de datos puede recuperar? Cellebrit... https://ujjina.com/que-es-cellebrite-y-que-tipo-de-datos-puede-recuperar/?feed_id=701129&_unique_id=669cd0762343e

[2-timesaweek]

After Some Trial and Error, FBI Cracks Trump Shooter's Samsung Phone | PCMag

[snarp]

Like 90% of the office fileserver is taken up by a very small number of ridiculously-large media files + Cellebrite device exports. Most of it is from closed cases and will never be looked at again, if it ever was before. The nature of the digital court record is that a lot of what ends up in there is unrelated to the case. A week of uncompressed security camera footage because the building managment at the scene of the crime didn't configure their cameras right and prosecution said "we'll sift through it later for the relevant bits, for now let's just get it in the record"; 90 hours are blank because some leaves got stuck to the camera lens on Tuesday morning; 8 months in someone figures out it also wasn't even the right week. "Am I allowed to delete this" we don't know. We don't know anything.

[dertaglichedan]

Cellebrite tools can't crack iPhones running iOS 17.4 or newer; most Android devices vulnerable

Another reason for Apple users to update their iPhones

In brief: Apple and CEO Tim Cook will likely be feeling quite smug following a report that Israeli company Cellebrite's widely used phone-unlocking tools are ineffective against up-to-date iPhones. On the other hand, Cellebrite's kit can break into the majority of Android phones.

Cellebrite's Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) is widely used by law enforcement agencies to unlock phones and extract their data. A recent report claims the company's technology helped unlock the phone of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man who almost assassinated Donald Trump, just two days after the shooting. It was never revealed what model of phone Crooks had.