iPhone security question

Submitted by Normal-Question-1994 t3_zsp8vl in iphone

Hello! Outside of state governments coordinating with factories at the production level and stuff like that, there’s, on average, a very low chance that someone could take a new iPhone, think iPhone XR when the iPhone box was wrapped in plastic shrink wrap, infect it with a virus or tracking software or something when it is still in the welcome / setup mode at the beginning when you register for an Apple ID and all of that, have it still be in the welcome mode, and then put the phone back in the box and then wrap it in shrink wrap again to make it look new?

I know a crazy scenario but I just wanted to know. I’m sure anything is possible technically but wanted to know thoughts. I know iPhones are generally secure I just wanted to know. Thank you!!!

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Comments

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dskatter t1_j193tuz wrote

Anything is possible.

The actual probability of this scenario happening are so low, I’d rank being struck by lightning in a clear cloudless day as more of a practical risk.

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Normal-Question-1994 OP t1_j194d93 wrote

Thank you! I am tech illiterate and just have watched movies about computer hackers and don’t have a frame of reference or know what is possible or probable or whatever. Thanks again!

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lordkane1 t1_j193bs2 wrote

It would be almost impossible for this to occur. Not technologically, but practically. There’s so many contact points in a supply chain that a significant number of people would need to be on board for it to go undetected.

If you want to be 110% sure you can perform a Recovery Mode Restore when you purchase the phone, and before you set it up. This means the iPhone will have to go through ‘Activation’ where it registers and checks settings with Apple. If the software and/or cellular hardware has been tampered with it’ll fail Activation and brick the phone.

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Normal-Question-1994 OP t1_j194ize wrote

Thank you! I can get this done at an Apple Store?

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Simon_787 t1_j19pam7 wrote

Of course that's possible. Security vulnerabilities can be extremely bad, to the point where someone can install spyware on your phone without you clicking or anything or knowing about it in any way.

But it's not likely and ordinary people probably don't have to worry about that.

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Normal-Question-1994 OP t1_j19pzyi wrote

Yea but that zero click thing is like super expensive right? This is reserved for a very select few at the moment

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