An exploit and a customized hardware was used to access Apple’s encrypted content in its iPhone 5c.

Giving a new twist to the Apple vs FBI court battle, as per The Washington Post, the previous report of the FBI engaging an Israeli firm to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5c was off the mark. The news reporting agency has now said the FBI had engaged the help of a group of professional hackers who hunt for software vulnerabilities and sometimes sell them to the U.S. government.

With this report, what becomes clear is the route the FBI had taken to crack the iPhone. As per the FBI, the hackers have discovered a yet to be disclosed vulnerability within either the iPhone 5c or iOS 9 based on which an exploit was created through which the Feds accessed the encrypted contents of the iPhone.

The exploit was delivered through a custom built hardware which allowed the FBI to peek into the phone’s encrypted contents without triggering Apple’s security feature which would erase the data stored within the device after 10 failed attempts of the of the phone’s four digit pin.

This was precisely the feature which kept the FBI’s own hacking attempts at bay. However, with this new found exploit and tool in its possession, the FBI need not worry about triggering Apple’s security feature anymore, as long as they don’t plug the vulnerability. However, as per news reports the technique may not work with newer devices and updates to iOS.

The hackers have received a one-time flat fee for their services.

Last week during a conference call, James B Comey, the Director of FBI, had said that he is wondering whether to disclose the flaw to Apple. If it’s disclosed the vulnerability will be quickly patched with an update.

On its part, Apple has disclosed that it will not sue the FBI to gain access to the solution used to crack its smartphone.