So someone would have to steal my phone and then physically connect it to a computer running a specific version of Ubuntu Linux.....OK, is that a security hole? Yes. Will it affect anyone? 99.999% chance that it will affect absolutely no one. Moving on.
Leave your iPhone at your desk when you run to the bathroom. I walk over, plug it into my laptop (dual-boot with Ubuntu), take 30 seconds to copy the entire contents, then leave.
I now have ever bit of data you have on your phone. Didn’t have to do anything except plug a cable in. Instant access to everything, and I just drag-and-drop to my hard disk.
So, unless you trust everyone around with every bit of information you may keep on your phone, you should never leave your iPhone laying around. Ever. Not at the office, not at a friend’s party, not even in your hotel room when you go down to take a swim.
A cable and a few seconds. That’s all it takes to copy all your data. So much for a PIN protecting you!
Actually, Ubuntu is one of the most ubiquitous forms of Linux out there. It’s highly extensible, flexible, and seen as one of the primary portal OSes in the battle for Windows users who want greater security with the flexibility of Windows.
To say that this won’t affect anyone is folly. I’ve upgraded my Ubuntu rev to 10.04, and it’s always fun to poke around in the install for new toys. I know several co-workers who bought new laptops for their college-bound teens and instead of accepting the Windows 7 EULA, they’re declining and installing Ubuntu instead (it is free, after all). Those kids might have an iPhone, and this security “hole” (I agree it’s not really a hole) is concerning. I’m sure the Linux community will “fix” it or Apple will push a new iPhone security fix (do they do this?) to ensure this can’t happen.
With Linux gaining acceptance in the user community (highly-technical users anyway), this might become more prevalent.
Yeah because nobody uses Linux, more specifically the latest version of Ubuntu. It's not like it's free to download or anything. You couldn't possibly load it into a virtual machine in 10 minutes either.
“So someone would have to steal my phone and then physically connect it to a computer running a specific version of Ubuntu Linux.”
Or they could pick it up while you step away from your desk, plug it in and take any data you have on it.
Theft of corporate data happens EVERY SINGLE day.
It's unlikely to come up accidentally, but if someone steals your phone with the intention of stealing your information, they have a fairly easy way of doing so. It's the computer equivalent of a car lock -- it'll stop an opportunistic thief, but not a determined one.