Leaker reveals which Pixels are vulnerable to Cellebrite phone hacking

Smartphones, often containing a wealth of personal information, have made significant strides in security over the years. However, companies like Cellebrite continue to develop tools that can circumvent these protections for law enforcement purposes. Recently, an anonymous source participated in a Cellebrite briefing and shared insights on the vulnerabilities of various Google Pixel models to these hacking tools. This informant, known as rogueFed, disclosed screenshots from a Microsoft Teams meeting in a post on the GrapheneOS forums, as reported by 404 Media. GrapheneOS, an Android-based operating system designed for enhanced security without Google services, has gained traction among privacy advocates. Its inclusion in Cellebrite's compatibility matrix indicates the growing concern over device security. The leaked information highlights the vulnerabilities of the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel 8, and Pixel 9 series, notably omitting the newly released Pixel 10. The vulnerabilities are categorized into three states: before first unlock (BFU), after first unlock (AFU), and unlocked. The BFU state represents the highest level of security, where the device remains encrypted until it is unlocked. In contrast, the AFU state allows for easier data extraction, while an unlocked phone presents no barriers to unauthorized access to sensitive information.