shamino

suddenly newton said:

So... NAND mirroring and using brute force to try every passcode does not equal "unlocking secure enclave."

That's correct.

The passcode is not the decryption key.  It (in conjunction with algorithms provided by iOS) allows access to a key that is used by the secure enclave to decrypt the actual content.  If the OS and the secure enclave chip are not functioning, then you would need to brute-force the internal key in order to read the content of the flash chip itself.  That is much much more difficult than trying all combinations of a 4- or 6-digit passcode.

If the phone is working, you can try every passcode combination, but there are a few caveats.  After a few failures, the phone makes you wait before you can try again - I think the delay can go up to an hour, if you fail many times.  And there phone may be configured to wipe its contents after too many failures.  In order to work around this, you need to make a backup of the flash storage and restore it after every 4-5 attempts, in order to reset the counter.  But that only works on older versions of iOS - more recent versions store the counter in the secure enclave, where it can't be reset without already having the key.

Soli said:

adm1 said:

I call BS, how could she not have had access to a branded/decent set of batteries? I struggle to find cheap batteries in the shops here, it's always Duracell, Energizer etc.

I used to put dollar store AAA batteries into my Withings smart scale until I finally bought modern rechargeable.

Ditto.  In the US, if you go to a major store (Target, Best Buy, major grocery chains, etc.) then you will find only major brand-name batteries.  But if you shop at dollar stores, flea markets and other such places, you often find other brands.  At one flea market, someone was selling Japanese Duracell (had the same logos, but all the text was in Japanese) - probably legit, but surprising.  At others, I've found complete no-name brands - names I've never heard of, and often with Chinese or Korean text all over the batteries and packaging - it's anyone's guess how well they are manufactured.

That having been said, I've never had one overheat (let alone catch fire).  Usually, the cheap ones just don't last very long.  Which is fine for low-power devices like remote controls, but unacceptable for high-power devices like cameras.

Also note that this happened on a flight from China.  It is likely that these batteries were purchased in China.  It is likely that a foreigner who doesn't read Chinese would not know what brands are good and what are junk.  And looking for a well-known brand like Duracell or Energizer may not help, given the amount of counterfeit goods sold there.  Especially if they were purchased in a local market instead of, say, in an airport store.

Given the circumstances of the article, I think it's a mistake a lot of us could make if placed in the same situation.

tundraboy said:

Headline is inaccurate. The headphones did not explode. The batteries did.

That's a critical piece of information that this article failed to mention.  Since you mentioned it, I did a Google search and found that I believe to be the original article from when the incident actually happened: http://www.atsb.gov.au/newsroom/news-items/2017/battery-explosion-mid-flight/

They clearly state that the batteries are what exploded.  In which case, I agree - Apple has nothing to do with this.  And it has nothing to do with "approved" brands.  Most batteries - even no-name ones - don't explode.  The fact that these did means that they were manufactured very poorly.

They are the ones who need to be sued, but (as another reader pointed out) it may be impossible if they are a fly-by-night operation in a foreign country.