Re:Answers to your questions about Apple and security
by icebraining on Monday February 22, 2016 @12:04PM
(#11152308)
Supposedly, the backdoor has already been fixed by the Secure Enclave, which was included in newer models of the iPhone.
Re:Answers to your questions about Apple and security
by mikeash on Monday February 22, 2016 @01:57PM
(#11153319)
Supposedly, and also supposedly the Secure Enclave doesn't defend against this, depending on who you ask and how they're speculating. I've yet to see anything authoritative on this from someone in a position to know for sure.
The good news is that if you have a good password, not just a simple numeric passcode, you should be safe against this sort of thing regardless, unless the authorities can coerce or trick you into revealing your password.
Basically. Unfortunately, most of the reporting is focused on the payload Apple is being asked to create and doesn't draw enough attention to that "existing backdoor" that will allow such a payload to be successfully installed.
Eliminating that "existing backdoor" should be a priority. I see some, here, expressing the thought that Apple might be working on that. I think Apple needs to be pressed, hard, on that very subject.