Security researchers
come up with a way to use a battery charger to take over an iPhone in less than
one minute.
(Credit: Apple)
Most people have heard of malicious software as a way to hack into an iPhone,
but what about a malicious charger?
Three researchers with the Georgia Institute of Technology say they have
come up with a proof-of-concept malicious iPhone charger that lets them hack
into the mobile device running the latest version of Apple's iOS in less than
one minute. No jailbreaking required.
"Apple iOS devices are
considered by many to be more secure than other mobile offerings. In evaluating
this belief, we investigated the extent to which security threats were
considered when performing everyday activities such as charging a device,"
the researchers wrote in a presentation summary. "The results were alarming: despite
the plethora of defense mechanisms in iOS, we successfully injected arbitrary
software into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating
system (OS) software."
Dubbing their charger "Mactrans," the researchers say they can
get around Apple's security mechanisms by hiding the charger software in the
same way Apple hides its own built-in apps. Apparently, the hardware for the
Mactrans is small enough to fit in power adaptors, docking stations, and
external batteries.
The researchers plan to present the Mactrans at the upcoming Black Hat
security conference in July.
Via Forbes.
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