San Francisco, Apr 22 (IANS): Privacy-focused messaging app Signal has successfully used an iPhone SE to hack Cellebrite's phone-cracking software.

The company said that anyone could place a file on their iPhone that effectively renders useless any data extraction performed on the phone and that it will be doing this for Signal users.

It also said that the file could also compromise all past and future reports generated from the Cellebrite Windows app, reports 9To5mac.

Signal managed to get its hands on the software by some means it doesn't wish to disclose, as it opens with a tongue-in-cheek description of how that happened.

According to the company, the very nature of the software meant that it was likely to prove vulnerable unless Cellebrite took steps to protect it, the report said.

Incredibly, it found Cellebrite had left its app wide open, giving the example of one DLL missing over 100 security updates, it added.