Cracking Android Patterns, Pins and Passwords

Circumventing & Cracking the Android 3 Ps

If you’ve even begun the journey into mobile device forensics, you’ve already likely encountered the dreaded “lock screen” on a device secured by a pattern, PIN or password. This article provides background on how Android implements the lock screens and techniques for circumventing and cracking them. Like many forensic techniques, this information could be used for nefarious purposes; however, our intentions are to empower practitioners who use forensics for legal purposes.

In the past, many mobile users did not want to lock their device, as it was an inconvenience. Today, a growing number of users are becoming security conscious and have realized that the inconvenience of a locked device pales in comparison to issues resulting from a stolen or lost phone. As such, mobile forensic examiners are increasingly encountering
locked devices. It also stands to reason that sophisticated criminals who use smartphones will almost certainly have a locked device.