What is iPhone Unlocker? This $500 device can brute-force iPhone 6 and 7 passcodes in minutes

Cyberspace today is so inundated with numerous exploits and hacking tools that nearly every device could likely be hacked. A new device has recently been uncovered that can reportedly crack iPhone passcodes within minutes. The $500 (£390) iPhone Unlocker, reportedly produced in China can allegedly unlock iPhone 7 and iPhone 7+ models, as well as some iPhone 6 and 6S models.

The device is similar to others previously used by law enforcement authorities, who have access to such tools via spy tech firms and essentially uses brute-force techniques to guess a locked iPhones passcode to break it open.

Apple confirmed that a bug in iOS 10 could have allowed hackers to use the device to crack iPhone passcodes, TechCrunch reported. However, there are a few caveats in order for the device to be effective. For instance, the device only works on newer iPhone models and only when the phone's passcode has recently been changed. The iPhone Unlocker's brute-force attack also only works if the smartphone has a 4 digit passcode and has not been used for more than 10 minutes after the passcode has been changed.

However, in a video posted by a YouTuber, it is explained that there are certain situations where the device could successfully crack an iPhone's passcode. One such instance involves using the device halfway through an iPhone's firmware update process. This may work because the smartphone doesn't lock out a user despite several failed attempts at guessing the passcode when undergoing an update. The video showed the device working simultaneously on 3 iPhones, cracking all of them within 12 minutes.

Fortunately, Apple confirmed that the fix for this will be issued out in the upcoming iOS 11, which users are slated to receive this autumn, TechCrunch reported.