Would-be Trump assassin’s Samsung Android phone cracked by Cellebrite in 40 minutes
Former President Trump and GOP nominee for U.S. President moments after narrowly surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday, July 13, 2024. (photo: Evan Vucci/AP)
The FBI was given access to unreleased technology from Cellebrite in order to access the Samsung Android phone of the person identified as the would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump, Bloomberg News reports citing “people familiar with the investigation.” A bullet during the assassination attempt came less than a quarter of an inch from entering Trump’s head and killed one attendee while critically injuring two others.
Margi Murphy and Katrina Manson for Bloomberg News:
The local FBI bureau in Pittsburgh held a license for Cellebrite software, which lets law enforcement identify or bypass a phone’s passcode. But it didn’t work with Crooks’ device, according to the people, who said the deceased shooter owned a newer Samsung model that runs Android’s operating system.
The agents called Cellebrite’s federal team, which liaises with law enforcement and government agencies, according to the people.
Within hours, Cellebrite transferred to the FBI in Quantico, Virginia, additional technical support and new software that was still being developed. The details about the unsuccessful initial attempt to access the phone, and the unreleased software, haven’t been previously reported.
Once the FBI had the Cellebrite software update, unlocking the phone took 40 minutes, according to reporting in the Washington Post, which first detailed the FBI’s use of Cellebrite.
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MacDailyNews Take: Shockingly, a garbage person used a garbage phone.
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