Two hackers have figured out a way to unlock lost Apple devices -- a boon for criminals with stolen iPhones and iPads.

 

The hackers have discovered a method for bypassing a protective feature on Apple services. Lost your iPhone? No worries. Something called "Activation Lock" turns it into a useless brick by connecting to Apple servers via its iCould service.

But a Dutch hacker going by the name AquaXetine and a Moroccan hacker with the name Merruk Technolog have discovered a way around that.

By plugging your iPhone or iPad into a computer and altering a file inside, you trick the device into connecting to the hackers' server instead. Once connected, the server will tell the iPhone or iPad to unlock.

The process is clunky, but folks around the world are already celebrating that it works.