FBI used new Cellebrite software to crack Trump shooter's phone
Using the Cellebrite software update, the FBI was able to unlock the phone in 40 minutes
The FBI was given access to unreleased technology to access the phone of the man identified as the shooter of former President Donald Trump, according to people familiar with the investigation.
As the FBI struggled to gain access on Sunday morning to the phone, they appealed directly to Cellebrite, a digital intelligence company that supplies technology to several US federal agencies, according to the people, who requested anonymity to speak freely about the case.
FBI agents wanted to pull data from the device to help decipher his motives for the shooting at a rally in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, where Trump suffered an injured ear and a spectator was killed. Authorities have identified the deceased shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks.
A spokesperson for Cellebrite declined to comment, as did the FBI.
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.
It can take seconds, days or even years to unlock a mobile phone, depending on the complexity of the owner's alphanumeric passcode. Cellebrite software can gain access to a phone through various methods, which include disabling a phone's built-in mechanisms that block repeated passcode attempts, while simultaneously generating millions of codes to attempt entry. It's unclear what method the FBI used to unlock Crooks' phone.
Cellebrite, which is listed on the Nasdaq stock market, says about a fifth of its public sector work is for federal customers. The company, which reported annual recurring revenue of $89.6 million for the first quarter of 2024, says it has worked on more than 5 million cases. The company is seeking to broaden its business with US federal customers, according to a statement this week.
The company has repeatedly defended itself against criticism from privacy advocates who have argued that using such technology amounts to unethical hacking and has been used foreign governments against activists. Cellebrite says its software is used to unlock seized phones only in legally sanctioned cases and never for surveillance.