For forensic experts dealing with mobile devices, having a reliable and efficient forensic solution is crucial. Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit is an all-in-one software that aids in extracting data from iOS devices, yet it is still far away from being a one-button solution that many experts keep dreaming of. In this article, we will walk you through the preparation and installation steps, list additional hardware environments, and provide instructions on how to use the toolkit safely and effectively.

When it comes to iOS data acquisition, Elcomsoft iOS Forensic Toolkit stands head and shoulders above the competition. With its cutting-edge features and unmatched capabilities, the Toolkit has become the go-to software for forensic investigations on iOS devices. The recent update expanded the capabilities of the tool’s low-level extraction agent, adding keychain decryption support on Apple’s newest devices running iOS 16.0 through 16.4.

A while ago, we introduced an innovative mechanism that enabled access to parts of the file system for latest-generation Apple devices. The process we called “partial extraction” relied on a weak exploit that, at the time, did not allow a full sandbox escape. We’ve been working to improve the process, slowly lifting the “partial” tag from iOS 15 devices. Today, we are introducing a new, enhanced low-level extraction mechanism that enables full file system extraction for the iOS 16 through 16.3.1 on all devices based on Apple A12 Bionic and newer chips.

We are excited to announce the release of an open-source software for Raspberry Pi 4 designed to provide firewall functionality for sideloading, signing, and verifying the extraction agent that delivers robust file system imaging and keychain decryption on a wide range of Apple devices. This development aims to address the growing security challenge faced by forensic experts when sideloading the extraction agent using regular and developer Apple accounts.

As a provider of mobile forensic tools, we at Elcomsoft strongly believe in giving back to the community. Our iOS Forensic Toolkit (EIFT) is a highly complex and powerful mobile acquisition tool, consisting of almost eighty sub-projects, many of which are open source. While we have benefited from the contributions of the community, we also believe that it’s time to contribute back to the open source community by publishing our changes to those projects as required by their permissive license.

Last month, we introduced a new low-level mechanism, which enabled access to parts of the file system from many Apple devices. The partial extraction process relies on a weak exploit that did not allow full sandbox escape. Today, the limitations are gone, and we are proud to offer the full file system extraction and keychain decryption for the entire iOS 15 range up to and including iOS/iPadOS 15.7.2.

The recent update to iOS Forensic Toolkit brought two automations based on the Raspberry Pi Pico board. One of the new automations makes it possible to make long, scrollable screen shots in a semi-automatic fashion. In this article we will show how to build, program, and use a Raspberry Pi Pico board to automate scrolling screenshots.

The latest update to iOS Forensic Toolkit brings two new features, both requiring the use of a Raspberry Pi Pico board. The first feature automates the switching of iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X devices into DFU, while the second feature adds the ability to make long, scrollable screen shots in a semi-automatic fashion. In this article we will show how to build, program, and use a Raspberry Pi Pico board to automate DFU mode.

In the previous articles we explained how to connect the first-generation HomePod to a computer, apply the exploit, extract a copy of the file system and decrypt the keychain. Since the HomePod cannot be protected with a passcode and does not allow installing apps, we were wondering what kinds of data the speaker may have and what kinds of passwords its keychain may store.

Obtaining information from a locked iPhone can be challenging, particularly when the device is passcode-protected. However, four critical pieces of information that can aid forensic analysis are the device’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), Mobile Equipment IDentifier (MEID), MAC address of the device’s Wi-Fi adapter, and its serial number. These unique identifiers can provide valuable insights into a device’s history, including its manufacture date, hardware specifications, and carrier information.