Hackers claim they’ve bypassed iCloud Activation Lock
A couple of hackers claim that they’ve managed to bypass Activation Lock, Apple’s anti-theft protection measure that makes an iOS device unusable until the owner’s Apple ID password is entered.
The hackers, who go by the name of AquaXetine and MerrukTechnolog, also add that they’ve compromised the security of iCloud, and accessed unencrypted passwords and other sensitive information from the service.
While no one has been able to bypass Activation Lock till now, the hackers say they managed to do this by introducing a computer between the iPhone and Apple’s servers. The computer spoofs its identity to fool the iPhone into believing that it is a genuine Apple server, and from there on, the computer instructs the iPhone to remove Activation Lock.
The two hackers worked on this for five months, and disclosed this vulnerability to Apple in March. Their motive, they say, isn’t to make money, but to get the message across that iCloud isn’t very safe.
There is huge money waiting for hackers who manage to bypass Activation Lock, as it will enable iPhone resellers to get stolen iPhones working again, and sell them for a profit.