New Delhi: An Israel-based cybertechnology company that reportedly sells advanced digital investigative tools to Pakistan has also been vending its cutting-edge Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) to India for more than a decade, ThePrint has learnt.
Israeli publication Haaretz reported Wednesday that Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency and various police units in the country have been using products, including UFED, made by digital intelligence company Cellebrite since at least 2012.
The report says that Cellebrite is listed on the Nasdaq exchange and that UFED is its “flagship” product. Reputed to be one of the best mobile forensics tools in the world, it allows investigators to hack into password-protected phones and copy information from them, including photos, documents, messages, call histories, and contacts.
Cyber experts, however, say that although the sale of the technology to Pakistan may lead to its misuse for “persecution of women, minorities, activists and journalists” there, it will not have any direct impact on India.
They also noted that the technologies used by investigation agencies are “not exclusive” and different vendors sell similar products.
A cyber expert who works with several Indian investigation agencies told ThePrint that there is “no rule” that says a technology that is sold to Pakistan cannot be sold to India, or vice versa.
“This company sells these tools via various distributors and cyber forensics partners. This is one of the most prominent and good cyber forensics tools. There is no such rule for any IT products as of now that says that if it is being sold to Pakistan then it will not be given to India,” he said.
This expert compared UFED to the MS Office software, noting that there are no implications if different parties use the same tool for their respective purposes.
“This is just an Israeli company that is making profits by taking clients everywhere,” he said.
The expert did, however, caution that selling such technology to Pakistan could lead to severe implications, considering the “undemocratic nature” of the country.
“These tools can be misused to oppress human rights activists, put citizens on surveillance,” the expert added.
Notably, The Haaretz report highlighted Israel’s previous cyber diplomacy initiatives that involved exporting “digital weaponry” such as NSO’s Pegasus spyware to countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE in exchange for the “establishment of official relations or secret agreements”.
While Cellebrite CEO Yossi Carmil was quoted as saying that its tools are only sold to police departments and security forces “to fight serious crimes” such as terrorism, the Haartez report claimed that the company’s tools have at times come into the wrong hands.
The report said Cellebrite’s hacking tools have “also found their way to organisations that oppress human rights activists, minorities, and the LGBTQ community”.
Further, it says that Cellebrite’s clientele includes oppressive regimes, some currently under sanctions, including Belarus, China, Uganda, Venezuela, Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, and Ethiopia. Reportedly, even Bangladesh’s controversial Rapid Action Battalion, an antiterrorism unit accused of various extra-judicial killings, procured the technology.
ThePrint contacted Cellebrite via email to inquire about potential conflict of interest regarding the company selling the same tool to both India and Pakistan and if there’s any contractual agreement prohibiting such sales, but received no response.
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What is UFED?
The Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED) is a forensic tool that can be used to extract and share data from mobile phones.
According to a source in the intelligence establishment, it comes with a system unit that includes connector cables and equipment to clone SIMs. This allows investigators to connect the mobile phone to the system and access data such as calls, SMSes, and photos.
“It can make an exact clone SIM, but it cannot be used to make calls. You make the clone SIM without making any changes to the hash value (a unique identifier) of the original SIM. The investigation is carried out on the clone SIM and the original SIM is preserved as evidence,” the source said.
Another source in the intelligence establishment said that India has been using this technology in many investigations.
“UFED is a very common technology that is used in investigations regularly. It helps us unlock mobiles and analyse their data, which gives a direction to the investigation,” the source said.
This source added that apart from UFED there are other “restricted tools” too that Indian has been procuring from Cellebrite.
“There is a tool that helps break encryption of 90 per cent of phones. This tool is a restricted one, unlike UFED. This costs Rs 2 crore for one year and the top agencies in India use it. We are not sure if the same company also sells this tool to Pakistan,” the source said.
What is Cellebrite?
According to the website of Cellebrite, the company’s digital intelligence solutions enhance the investigative capabilities of agencies, and protect communities and officers. It also claims that its tools have been purchased by “6,700 public safety agencies”.
“From crime scene to the courtroom, Cellebrite solutions help investigative teams make disparate data accessible, digestible, and actionable across the full investigation lifecycle,” the website says.
It also says that Cellebrite’s tools help state and local governments to modernise investigative workflows. Their tools also help agencies to build, investigate, and close cases faster.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
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