WARNING iPhone Users: SMS Virus Alert
- A security vulnerability is set to be exposed later this afternoon that potentially threatens every iPhone via an SMS message. Apple is yet to release a patch, and although leading security software vendors like Symantec and McAfee are both working on iPhone and Apple-related virus protection, nothing is yet available to protect you from the supposed SMS vulnerability.
- How do you know if you’ve been infected? Reportedly, you’ll receive an SMS message with a single square character, at which point your phone will become inoperable. As we mentioned earlier, the exploit is supposedly so severe that your entire phone can be taken over remotely, as such, the “turn your phone off immediately” if you receive the message seems to be the only sound advice at this point.
* 1. The major issue is a security flaw involving SMS. Specifically, the hack can control an iPhone remotely, including your iPhone’s camera, Safari, and more. It can even send messages to friends in your address book, which is where this hack becomes scariest.
* 2. The hack works by sending you code in an SMS message (or a series of messages) that crashes your iPhone. After that, your iPhone is theirs to use.
* 3. The offending text would come in the form of a single square character. If you get the square character, turn off your phone IMMEDIATELY.
* 4. You only have to receive the message to get hacked; you don’t even have to do anything with the text message.
* 5. The flaw was discovered by noted security expert Charlie Miller, who has hacked everything from MacBook Airs to Second Life, and partner Collin Mullinger.
* 6. The attack was presented publicly at the Black Hat conference. The duo decided to do this after Apple gave them no response back in July, when they provided Apple with information on the security flaw. The goal is to bring attention to the flaw (which they are clearly getting).
* 7. According to Reuters, now that the vulnerability is exposed, hackers could build software that mounts this SMS attack within the next two weeks.
* 8. Apparently Google Android, Windows Mobile phones, and Palm Pres are vulnerable to similar hacks. The team demonstrated the attack on an Android phone and a Windows Mobile phone.
Stay tuned via: iphoneuserguide.com
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