Police in Detroit encountered an unexpected challenge recently when iPhones stored for forensic examination mysteriously rebooted. The devices, all running on iOS 18.0, were disconnected from cellular networks for weeks and showed signs of rebooting even in conditions designed to isolate them, such as Airplane Mode or Faraday cages. Law enforcement speculates that the issue could relate to recent updates or an unknown feature in Apple’s software.
Suspected Software Glitch or Security Measure?
According to a law enforcement document obtained by 404 Media, officers believe that an iOS 18 update may have triggered these reboots. The document suggests that iPhones disconnected from networks might interact with other nearby devices, prompting them to restart. These reboots cause the devices to revert to their “Before First Unlock” (BFU) state, which is significantly more secure and limits data accessibility.
Impact on Investigations
This unexpected phenomenon has created significant issues for forensic teams. When an iPhone reboots into BFU mode, it prevents immediate access to data, as this state requires unlocking with the owner’s credentials. This limitation has raised concerns among law enforcement regarding potential changes in Apple’s software that could hinder investigations.
Software Bug or Hardware Malfunction?
Experts are divided over the cause of these reboots. Some suggest that the behavior may be due to a bug, similar to the rebooting issues reported by regular iPhone 16 Pro users running iOS 18.0. In October 2024, many users experienced random reboots, a problem that Apple eventually addressed with the iOS 18.1 update. Cryptographer Matthew Green expressed skepticism about intentional security features, noting that such a feature would be surprising. He also pointed out that hardware issues, such as battery or chip malfunctions, could explain the reboots.
