【Alanis (2017)】

Hacking a smartphone just got a whole lot cheaper.

A tool once favored by law enforcement for pulling data off locked phones is Alanis (2017)now available to the general public. We can't imagine the Israel-based company behind the Cellebrite hacking device is all that pleased with its newly expanded customer base, but here we are. There's not much it can do about it at the moment, as the sales are taking place on eBay — where a quick search shows numerous used models listed for prices as low as $50.

SEE ALSO: Apple's officially making it harder for cops to bust into your iPhone

According to Forbes, which first reported the news, a brand new Cellebrite device will set law enforcement back around $6,000. Things are quite a bit cheaper on the online auction site, where one seller has what appear to be 10 used models for sale ranging in price between $50 to $70.

That's quite the discount.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Notably, Cellebrite appears to be extremely displeased with the resale of its phone-cracking tech. Matthew Hickey, a security researcher and co-founder of Hacker House, purchased a Cellebrite UFED-36 mode off eBay, and proceeded to tweet an analysis and breakdown of the device.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Shortly thereafter, Hickey tweeted what looks to be a statement from Cellebrite admonishing resellers.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"As a part of Cellebrite's inventory control process we need to ensure that our products are only used by the original owner," reads the statement. "As a reminder, selling or distributing any of your Cellebrite equipment to other organizations is not permitted without written approval from Cellebrite."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

We reached out to the company to confirm that the message is in fact authentic, but did not receive a response as of press time. If it is legit, however, the statement makes clear that the stakes are higher than just Cellebrite's profit margins.

"Since it may be possible for these devices (including old devices such as the discontinued Touch) to access private information," the statement warns, "we ask that you treat any Cellebrite equipment within your organization with the highest degree of security."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In other words, the old models may still be able to gain access to smartphones. And that's not all, Hickey told Forbesthat he was able to view some usage history — like when the Cellebrite was used, what types of phones were searched, and what kind of data was pulled off those phones — on the device he purchased.

Essentially, these smartphone hacking tools — possibly used by law enforcement agencies — appear to not have been wiped before resale.

And now all that data, and the means to get more, can belong to a hacker for the low low price of $100 or less.

UPDATE: Feb. 28, 2019, 2:02 p.m. PST: An eBay spokesperson confirmed to Mashable that listings for Cellebrite devices have been removed for violating eBay's lock-picking policy.

While that policy appears to be written to ban the sale of more traditional lock-picking tools, it also covers "Digital decoders" which could, maybe, cover the Cellebrite devices.

---

Featured Video For You

---

From ATMs to printers, hackers prove you can play 'Doom' on anything

---

Topics Cybersecurity iPhone

• Digital Culture
• Deals
• Science
• Entertainment
• Tech
• Life
• Social Good
• Shopping

• 8 Years Later: Does the GeForce GTX 580 Still Have Game in 2018?
• Beyoncé made a cancer patient's dream come true with the power of FaceTime
• Awkwafina talks shit about Jeff Sessions and 'healthy' chips
• Ellen DeGeneres gets 'The Bachelorette' started early with a group date on her show
• Trump delays TikTok ban for another 75 days
• Youngest Ed Sheeran fan immediately stops crying at sound of 'Shape of You'
• Beyoncé made a cancer patient's dream come true with the power of FaceTime
• The OLED Burn
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for April 1, 2025
• Critics who called out Chelsea Clinton for 'Lifetime Impact Award' made one large error

• On Effort and Letting Go by Salvatore Scibona
• Redux: Disappointment Is Oily by The Paris Review
• What Our Contributors Are Reading This Spring by The Paris Review
• Beach Life by The Paris Review
• How Not to Be Forgotten by Lauren Kane
• The Royally Radical Life of Margaret Cavendish by Michael Robbins
• Books Only a Mother Could Love by The Paris Review
• Et in Arcadia Ego by Anthony Madrid
• Masked and Anonymous by Lucy Sante
• Objects of Despair: The 10,000

• The strangeness of Japan's decision to start openly hunting whales
• Footballer who shouted out wife and girlfriend on live TV has totally logical explanation here
• Kristi Yamaguchi's tweet to Nancy Kerrigan proves 1994 ice skater drama is alive and well
• It only took us five minutes to find a big brand advertising on a hate group's YouTube
• Best robot vacuum deal: Save $140 on roborock Q7 Max Robot Vacuum
• Dbrand is going after Apple's new (RED) iPhone with a $10 skin
• Facebook struggles to prevent violence on Facebook Live
• New shiny Pokémon have started appearing in 'Pokémon Go'
• Things AMD Needs to Fix
• Iguana, who answers to no man, wreaks havoc at the Miami Open tennis tournament

• Sabalenka vs. Svitolina 2025 livestream: Watch Madrid Open for free
• Did you know you shouldn't feed ducks bread? These people didn't.
• Kristi Yamaguchi's tweet to Nancy Kerrigan proves 1994 ice skater drama is alive and well
• 'Assassin's Creed' is coming to TV
• The 10 Most Anticipated PC Games of 2016
• 'Assassin's Creed' is coming to TV
• Millennials can't shut up about sex, blame the internet
• This startup wants to send electric planes from London to Paris within 10 years
• Get the official Atari 7800+ Console for 50% off
• Gamer frustrated with his team smashes his head through his monitor