- APPLE SECURITY UPDATE SPYWARE IPHONES IWATCHES PDF
- APPLE SECURITY UPDATE SPYWARE IPHONES IWATCHES PATCH
- APPLE SECURITY UPDATE SPYWARE IPHONES IWATCHES CODE
Users should get alerts on their iPhones prompting them to update the phone's iOS software. In a subsequent statement, Apple security chief Ivan Krstić commended Citizen Lab and said such exploits "are not a threat to the overwhelming majority of our users." He noted, as he has in the past, that such exploits typically cost millions of dollars to develop and often have a short shelf life.Īpple didn't respond to questions regarding whether this was the first time it had patched a zero-click vulnerability. It said it was aware that the issue may have been exploited and cited Citizen Lab.
APPLE SECURITY UPDATE SPYWARE IPHONES IWATCHES PDF
In a blog post, Apple said it was issuing a security update for iPhones and iPads because a "maliciously crafted" PDF file could lead to them being hacked. He said the malicious file causes devices to crash.Ĭitizen Lab says the case reveals, once again, that NSO Group is allowing its spyware to be used against ordinary civilians. It was discovered during a second examination of the phone, which forensics showed had been infected in March. Malicious image files were transmitted to the activist's phone via the iMessage instant-messaging app before it was hacked with NSO's Pegasus spyware, which opens a phone to eavesdropping and remote data theft, Marczak said.
APPLE SECURITY UPDATE SPYWARE IPHONES IWATCHES CODE
"We're not necessarily attributing this attack to the Saudi government," said researcher Bill Marczak.Ĭitizen Lab previously found evidence of zero-click exploits being used to hack into the phones of Al-Jazeera journalists and other targets but hasn't previously seen the malicious code itself.Īlthough security experts say that average iPhone, iPad and Mac user generally need not worry - such attacks tend to be limited to specific targets - the discovery still alarmed security professionals.
The targeted activist asked to remain anonymous, they said. They found the malicious code on September 7 and immediately alerted Apple. It was the first time a so-called "zero-click" exploit - one that doesn't require users to click on suspect links or open infected files - has been caught and analyzed, the researchers said. NSO Group responded with a one-sentence statement saying it will continue providing tools for fighting "terror and crime." The previously unknown vulnerability affected all major Apple devices - iPhones, Macs and Apple Watches - the researchers said. They said they had high confidence that the world's most infamous hacker-for-hire firm, Israel's NSO Group, was behind that attack. Researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab said the security issue was exploited to plant spyware on a Saudi activist's iPhone.
APPLE SECURITY UPDATE SPYWARE IPHONES IWATCHES PATCH
Since then, it as has continued to evolve and take on new capabilities.Apple released a critical software patch to fix a security vulnerability that researchers said could allow hackers to directly infect iPhones and other Apple devices without any user action. He said Lookout and Citizen Lab first discovered Pegasus back in 2016. Hank Schless is senior manager of security solutions at Lookout. “It’s unlikely that Apple can prevent everything that could possibly be done to exploit MacOS on PCs or iOS on its mobile devices,” he said. Ray said it’s not surprising spyware could infiltrate a tech giant like Apple. They’ll send these exploits far and wide even knowing that Apple has patched the vulnerability, banking on the notion that enough people have not updated their devices and the vulnerability remains.” “Even if Apple and others believe that the usefulness of the exploit comes only for targeting select individuals, the public awareness of the vulnerability gives other cybercriminals and hackers the opportunity to consider and create other exploits. “The entire game changes the moment these zero-day vulnerabilities become publicly known,” he said. He said users, whether individuals or companies, should most definitely update their devices as soon as practical. The Apple software update plugs a hole in the iMessage software that allowed hackers to infiltrate a user’s phone with spyware without the user clicking on any links, according to Citizen Lab. Cybercriminals allegedly used the spyware to surveil journalists and human rights advocates in multiple countries. “In March 2021, we examined the phone of a Saudi activist who has chosen to remain anonymous, and determined that they had been hacked with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware,” Citizen Lab said. Citizen Lab calls the exploit FORCEDENTRY. Researchers from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab said the flaw was exploited to infect the iPhone of a Saudi activist with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. The spyware could infect anyone’s iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac computer. Apple has issued an emergency software update to plug a security flaw allowing spyware that could potentially infect all Apple devices.
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