Aaron Johnson, interviewed in prison, revealed all the secrets of his code theftsiPhone. He explained how he could take control of an Apple mobile in seconds, emptying its owner’s accounts.
A now renowned iPhone code thief, Aaron Johnson threw away all his methods Wall Street Journal to explain how he managed to steal passwords and phones before reselling them to maximize his profits. It was through the use of subtle tactics in bars, with a mixture of deception and violence, that Johnson was able to commit his misdeeds. In response, Apple will introduce a stolen device protection feature with iOS 17.3, emphasizing the critical importance of securing your data. Back to this incredible affair.
With malice and sometimes violence, he took full control of the iPhone, and also took the phone
Aaron Johnson, as clever as he was diabolical, seized the access codes of iPhone users in Minneapolis bars, using certain stratagems aimed more at a young audience, by offering them fake drugs for example. After a rather skillful contact in a setting and an atmosphere conducive to trapping his target, the technique evolved from the simple theft of an iPhone to the total takeover of the device, involving manipulations in the iCloud settings to replace the word password of the owner by his own code, and then completely lock the rightful owner of his device, by disabling Find My Phone.
With the passcode, Aaron Johnson could not only lock iPhones, but also change the Apple ID, with the change taking only between 5 and 10 seconds. Worse still, the thief indicates that he modified the face connected to the Face ID facial recognition system, replacing that of the victim with his own. Face ID being the “ key to everything “, according to his own words, once compromised, he had full access to sensitive data, accounts, banking transactions and other financial applications.
In explaining his method to the general public, Johnson admitted to having accessed tools like PayPal or Venmo, but also checking and savings accounts. The Notes application has often been very valuable in the eyes of the criminal, who compares it to a treasure trove of information, particularly in that it can be full of passwords.
Between 1 and 2 million dollars in earnings thanks to its operations
Before 5 a.m., just hours after stealing his victims’ smartphones, Johnson had already emptied their bank accounts. But he didn’t stop there, and that’s the whole point of this odious and malicious gluttony. The individual made purchases with the remaining money. Then he ended up carrying out a factory restoration of the iPhones, before reselling them.
By stealing between 5 and 10 Apple smartphones per night, Johnson made around $20,000 per week. Depending on the model (up to the iPhone 14 Pro Max), he could resell a single cell phone for almost $1,000. The money from the sale of the smartphones was used to buy iPad Pro tablets, which he then resold to obtain even more cash, citing his intention to protect his family and his children. While the arrest warrant indicates a total theft of $300,000, Johnson reportedly indicated that he generated between $1 and $2 million from his victims.
Directly challenged by the individual, who indicates that the giant Apple is not doing enough to protect the security of its users, the Cupertino company responded by deploying a stolen device protection feature in iOS 17.3, for the moment only available in beta version. Although disabled by default, users can enable it via the iPhone’s Face ID and Password settings. The feature adds layers of security, now requiring Face ID or Touch ID verification for critical actions, protecting users from attacks similar to Johnson’s. Should we say that “ it’s an evil for a good ” SO ?
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