Calling and texting on behalf of others
Security researchers have discovered two notable vulnerabilities in Apple's iPhone that could allow attackers to make phone calls or text messages to owners.
Since the advent of the Apple iPhone, hackers have also become increasingly interested in the device, which soon became very popular. So far, however, their main goal has been to be able to decrypt the phone and thus make it service provider independent. Recently, however, security professionals have also begun investigating the new mobile phone in order to be able to detect vulnerabilities that could pose risks to users.
The experts of the security company Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) also showed interest in the phone and started scanning it as soon as it was in their hands. It didn't take long to discover the device's first vulnerabilities. So far, ISE has reported two notable vulnerabilities. One can be traced back to a vulnerability in the Safari browser running on mobile devices and can be exploited through specially edited websites. When the user views such a web page, attackers can take control of the device. In this way, they can call the owner's account, send SMS messages, and access address lists, call lists, and voicemail information stored on mobile phones. The other security loophole can also be exploited with malicious websites, and the phone's vibrating call signal can be "fooled" with it.
Security experts have pointed out that the more features a device has than a computer, the more risks it poses. In addition, as the popularity of products increases, so does the number of threats, as attackers soon notice these devices.
ISE did not want to disclose more specific information. And the dangers of the vulnerabilities are expected to be presented at the Black Hat conference in August. Apple is currently investigating the vulnerability information. To date, no reports have been received from the company that reported damage from the vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, Apple recommends that users view only trusted websites with the iPhone.
