ideviceerase

A command-line utility to erase all content and settings on an iOS device.

Description

ideviceerase is a cross-platform tool that interfaces with iOS devices via USB to perform a full erase operation, effectively returning the device to its factory settings. It utilizes the libimobiledevice library to communicate with the device.

Erase Functionality

The tool performs an "Erase All Content and Settings" operation on the target iOS device. This is achieved by connecting to the device and issuing a command to the com.apple.diagnostics_relay service. Specifically, it sends a PList dictionary containing the {"Request": "MobileObliterator"} command, which instructs the device to wipe all user data, settings, and stored content.

This process is equivalent to selecting "Erase All Content and Settings" from the device's own settings menu.

Features

• Full Device Erase: Securely wipes all user data, applications, and settings.
• iOS Compatibility: Works with iOS versions supported by the linked libimobiledevice library.
• Command-Line Interface: Allows for easy scripting and automation.
• Cross-Platform: Can be compiled and run on Linux, macOS, and Windows (with appropriate library installations).

Usage

Basic Erase Command

To erase an iOS device, you need its UDID. You can typically find the UDID using idevice_id -l.

./ideviceerase -u <device_udid>

Replace <device_udid> with the actual UDID of your target device.

Options

• -u, --udid <device_udid>: (Mandatory) Specifies the UDID of the target iOS device.
• --ecid <value>: (Optional) Specifies the ECID of the target device. This option is parsed but not currently used to gate the erase operation.
• --debug: (Optional) Enables verbose debug output, showing communication details with the device, including PList messages.

WARNING

This operation is DESTRUCTIVE and IRREVERSIBLE. All data on the target device will be permanently erased.

• BACK UP YOUR DEVICE before using this tool if you need to preserve any data.
• Ensure you are targeting the correct device.
• Use with extreme caution.

Dependencies

To compile and run ideviceerase, you will need the following libraries installed:

• libimobiledevice: A library that provides protocols to communicate with iOS devices.
• libplist: A library for handling Apple's Property List (PList) format, used for communication.
• libusbmuxd: A library that handles USB communication with iOS devices via the usbmux daemon.

Ensure that development headers for these libraries are also available if compiling from source (e.g., libimobiledevice-dev, libplist-dev, libusbmuxd-dev on Debian/Ubuntu systems).

Compilation

A Makefile is provided. Typically, you can compile the tool by running:

make

This will produce the ideviceerase executable.

Disclaimer

This tool interacts with iOS devices at a low level. The developers are not responsible for any damage or data loss that may occur from using this software. Understand the risks before proceeding.