Posted on 11/06/2014 10:14:15 AM PST by for-q-clinton
For most of the iPhone's lifespan, it's been effectively immune to malware. There were theoretical attacks and viruses targeting jailbroken phones, but thanks to the tight controls of the App Store, finding iOS malware in the wild has been nearly impossible. If you didn't jailbreak your phone and you weren’t targeted by the NSA, you simply didn't have to worry about catching a virus.
Yesterday, that changed. A security firm called Palo Alto Networks discovered a malware program they’re calling Wirelurker, which sneaks into computers through unauthorized Chinese apps, then attacks iOS devices when they connect over USB. It’s an obscure line of attack (when’s the last time you actually plugged your iPhone into your computer?), confined to China, and so far the effects have been minimal. The actual payload for non-jailbroken phones was just a test balloon, side-loading a comic book app to prove the attack really worked. Jailbroken phones got a nastier payload, infecting payment apps, but that's to be expected. Last night, Apple blocked the apps, saying "We are aware of malicious software available from a download site aimed at users in China, and we’ve blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching. As always, we recommend that users download and install software from trusted sources." Less than 24 hours after Palo Alto Networks published its report, Wirelurker appears to be mostly wiped out. Still, that doesn't mean Apple is completely in the clear. The vulnerabilities exploited by Wirelurker will be around for much longer, and could pose a serious threat to Apple's otherwise spotless record. Now that the platform has had its first real virus scare, there's reason to think it won't be the last.
(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...
Read it again...this is enabled on ALL iphones. All I need you to do is plug your iPhone into my PC. Voila...I now own your iPhone (so to speak).
We ain’t throwing stones at apple exclusively for doing the same or less than your “alternatives” do as a matter of course.
that is simply whacked....
Man people need to read for understanding.
Basically I can install a virus/malware on your iPhone by plugging it into my USB. How long will it take to install a virus on someone’s phone who leaves it at the table.
Want to spy on your girlfriend? Just install the “corporate app” I spy on her phone when she’s not looking by plugging it into your laptop.
We do.
You mean like claiming the iPad is replacing desktop computers when the article says it’s so marginal now that people just use the new iPhone instead...? ;)
And you intentionally missed the point.
I suggest you re-read. This appears to be a flaw in iTunes, not iOS, where if the user is stupid enough to download an app from an unauthorized/untrusted site that knows how to do it, the app then exploited a feature in iTunes to make it a "trusted" source of apps and could proceed to download other apps without authorization.
That's not "owning" my phone, nor can your version of iTunes do that without you specifically targeting it. Worst case: you can install some crapware on my phone that I can simply delete. If I were idiotic enough to compromise my phone in the first place.
I do not trust any Smart Phone or Tablet
No, I took the wider view of which you are, apparently, incapable.
“if the user is stupid enough to download an app from an unauthorized/untrusted site “
Look up “Pro Tools Ilok problems” to see what happens when one vendor controls all the marbles.
Then see the result in tens of millions of dollars in damage, lost sales, closed businesses and broken contracts due to the Soviet model of computer security.
“Man people need to read for understanding....”
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I agree. Unfortunately there are people who “read” but still don’t get a true understanding of what they’ve just read. Such people will always be with us.
So open minded your brain fell out.
Sheesh. It’s so obvious.
I think.
That’s it. I’m stocking up on bottle caps.
Nope. PR people ;)
HA!
[hi Norm]
;]
At least Vault-Tec makes the pip boy. Imagine if it were Apple based...
Lone wanderer would be in trouble...
FR: Undetectable, Unpatchable USB-infecting malware is now publically available for anyone to use
I suspect that hackers are actually exploiting this USB port problem with respect to iPhone.
Like moths drawn to the light, Apple haters are irresistibly attracted to any thread having to do with Apple. The Apple Haters NEED to hurl insults at Apple users and Apple products—they can’t help themselves.
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