Erase command fails with error 'CommandFormatError'

[tudorcraciun]

Hello!

On iPhone 5C (iOS 10.3.3, unconfigured, activated), I have executed the command ios erase --force -v. It did not reset the device, but failed with the error {"err":"failed command: map[Status:CommandFormatError]","level":"fatal","msg":"failed erasing","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"}. Executed using commit 4120842 (latest at the time).

Full logs:

{"level":"info","msg":"Set Debug mode","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"level":"debug","msg":"map[--address:\u003cnil\u003e --all:false --apps:false --arg:[] --basedir:\u003cnil\u003e --binary:false --bundle-id:\u003cnil\u003e --bundleid:\u003cnil\u003e --certfile:\u003cnil\u003e --details:false --dstPath:\u003cnil\u003e --enable-post-restart:false --env:[] --filesharing:false --font:\u003cnil\u003e --force:true --gpxfilepath:\u003cnil\u003e --help:false --iface:\u003cnil\u003e --lang:false --lat:\u003cnil\u003e --list:false --locale:false --log-output:\u003cnil\u003e --lon:\u003cnil\u003e --mode:\u003cnil\u003e --nojson:false --orgname:\u003cnil\u003e --output:\u003cnil\u003e --p12file:\u003cnil\u003e --pair-record-path:\u003cnil\u003e --password:\u003cnil\u003e --path:\u003cnil\u003e --pid:\u003cnil\u003e --plist:false --port:\u003cnil\u003e --pretty:false --process:\u003cnil\u003e --r:false --rsd-port:\u003cnil\u003e --setlang:\u003cnil\u003e --setlocale:\u003cnil\u003e --skip:[] --skip-all:false --srcPath:\u003cnil\u003e --stop-at-entry:false --stream:false --system:false --test-runner-bundle-id:\u003cnil\u003e --test-to-run:[] --test-to-skip:[] --testrunnerbundleid:\u003cnil\u003e --trace:false --tunnel-info-port:\u003cnil\u003e --udid:\u003cnil\u003e --verbose:true --version:false --wait:false --xctest-config:\u003cnil\u003e --xctestconfig:\u003cnil\u003e 12h:false 24h:false \u003capp_path\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003cbundleID\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003ccwd\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003chost\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003chostPort\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003ckey\u003e:[] \u003cpass\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003cpattern\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003cport\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003cprofileFile\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003cprofileId\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003cprofileName\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003cprofileTypeId\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003csrcpattern\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003ctarget\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003ctargetPort\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e \u003cuser\u003e:\u003cnil\u003e activate:false add:false apps:false assistivetouch:false auto:false ax:false batterycheck:false cp:false crash:false create-cert:false date:false debug:false devicename:false devicestate:false devmode:false diagnostics:false disable:false diskspace:false display:false dproxy:false enable:false erase:true forward:false fsync:false get:false httpproxy:false image:false info:false install:false instruments:false ip:false kill:false lang:false launch:false list:false listen:false lockdown:false ls:false mkdir:false mobilegestalt:false mount:false notifications:false pair:false pcap:false prepare:false printskip:false profile:false ps:false pull:false push:false readpair:false reboot:false remove:false resetlocation:false rm:false runtest:false runwda:false screenshot:false setlocation:false setlocationgpx:false start:false syslog:false timeformat:false toggle:false tree:false tunnel:false uninstall:false version:false voiceover:false zoomtouch:false]","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"level":"debug","msg":"Looking for device ''","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"level":"info","msg":"no udid specified using first device in list","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z","udid":"<removed_udid_from_logs>"} {"level":"warning","msg":"failed to get tunnel info","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z","udid":"<removed_udid_from_logs>"} {"EnableServiceSSL":false,"Port":49167,"Request":"StartService","Service":"com.apple.mobile.MCInstall","level":"debug","msg":"Service started on device","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"level":"info","msg":"start erasing","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"level":"debug","msg":"send flush request","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"level":"debug","msg":"get cloud config","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"level":"debug","msg":"config: map[Status:Acknowledged]","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"level":"debug","msg":"send erase request","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"} {"err":"failed command: map[Status:CommandFormatError]","level":"fatal","msg":"failed erasing","time":"2024-10-01T06:53:16Z"}

My goal is to modify the PreserveDataPlan flag to 0 to also erase any eUICC data.

Do you have any idea what might be wrong?
Thank you!

[tudorcraciun]

Hello,

It seems that the command fails on iPhone 5 (iOS 10.3.3) and below, but works on iPhone 6 (iOS 12.5.7) and above.

I believe that on older iOS versions the EraseDevice command has to be sent as a MessageName instead of a RequestType (similar to https://github.com/libimobiledevice/libimobiledevice/pull/1029/files).