Devices of the Apple Inc vulnerable to attack hackers until the release of the new version of iOS 7 (software update).
The next update of the Apple Inc for your iPhones and iPads it will fix a security breach that facilitates espionage and other cyber crimes. That happens when the victim connects his device to a fake charging station, the company said on Wednesday.
Three computer scientists warned Apple about the problem earlier this year as they found this security vulnerability in the "Black Hat hacking convention ", Convention of hackers "professionals in the area of digital security“In Las Vegas on Wednesday, where about 7000 security professionals present / discuss the latest digital threats.
Apple said the problem was resolved in the latest beta version of iOS 7, which has now been made available to developers.
"We would like to thank the researchers for their valuable contribution“Said an Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr.
The work was done by Billy Lau, a scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and graduate students Yeongjin Jang e Chengyu Song.
In a demonstration at the hacking conference, they linked an iPhone to a charger built by them, equipped with a small computer running the Linux operating system, which was programmed to attack iOS devices. They said it cost about 45 USD to buy and a week to project, they infected the phone with a computer virus designed to make a phone call from one of the researchers, and it worked.
Os real world criminals they can build viruses that would give them remote control of the devices. Let them take pictures of the screen to steal bank passwords and credit card numbers. They can also access emails, texts and contact information or track the phone owner's location, which can become a spying tool, he said. Billy Lau.
Billy Lau and his team publicized the flaw in the spirit of White hat hacking, which is finding security bugs so that manufacturers can fix them before criminals exploit them. Devices with Google's Android operating system are not vulnerable to the same types of attacks, because they warn users if they connect their devices to a computer, even when they just want to charge the battery.
If you own an iPhone and / or iPad, stay tuned for software updates.
Via: [Reuters]
