It's
a story tailor-made for the fear-mongering subset of news media. This week, a pair of gentlemen lured an unsuspecting virgin iPhone to a malicious website and -- with no other input from the user -- stole the phone's entire database of sent, received and even
deleted text messages in under 20 seconds, boasting that they could easily lift personal contacts, emails and your naughty, naughty photos as well. Thankfully for us level-headed souls, those gentlemen were Vincenzo Iozzo and Ralf-Philipp Weinmann, security researchers performing for the 2010
Pwn2Own hacking contest, and their $15,000 first prize ensures that the winning formula will go to Apple (and only Apple) for further study. Last year, smartphones
emerged from Pwn2Own unscathed even as their
desktop counterparts took a beating, but this makes the
third year in a row that Safari's gotten its host machines
pwned. That said, there's no need for fear -- just a healthy reminder that the Apple logo doesn't give you free license to click links in those oh-so-tempting "beta-test the new iPad!" emails.
posted March 25th 2010 2:36AM
What?! An Apple product is susceptible to hacking?! Say it ain't so!
:: Laughs :: And people actually believe that they're safer with their products.
I am supprised no one has said this yet. I expected the ultimate fanboy to be all over this by now, but it took a whole 20 seconds? It probably only took so long because of At&t's slow network. The EVO would have been hacked in less than a second over 4G.
Come on fanboys, you gotta do better...
"beta-test the new iPad!" lol oldest trick in the book.
Windows and Android ftw!
The fear-mongering media is a subset?
And this is why apple products are considered a joke except in the retail teen market. You will never see these being ok'd to use in the government or military.
@syph007
"And this is why apple products are considered a joke except in the retail teen market"
Sure they are. Whatever helps you to sleep at night. If you think it is the "retail teen market" that is propping up Apple then you are clearly nuts. I will also note that I do not consider events like this to be representative of reality and that if the government/military was serious about security then they wouldn't have been using Windows for all these years when it had security holes you could drive a truck through.
@syph007 Here ya go, genius:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1596878/us-army-visits-apple-hq-to-discuss-uses-for-the-ipad-other-than-saving-the-publishing-indust
Engadget commenters make me lose faith in humanity.
@Martin C
So does NPH
We'll have to see how the iPhone hack turns out but with the data being handed to Apple, It won't be there for long.
As for the Miller Safari exploit... it's been three years now and Apple haven't patched it. Nothing has appeared in the wild as of yet and unless you're a raving idiot, you would have to assume that if it was a real threat to OSX & Safari, Apple would have fixed it.
Given their entire reputation hinges on it...
It is logical that there are more malicious ware for PC vs MAC b/c more ppl are using PC. Now, MAC OS, you're it.
daaaaamn. I love my apple products, but I can admit when there is pwnage. Apple has mud on their face today. Only difference is, and this is no small difference, that these things (this exploit and ones found in the past) so far haven't affected anyone in real life.
what's funny is that android fanboys are all like "ANDROID FTW" on this. Little do they know that their phones can be exploited just by installing some malicious app that Google didn't bother approving before letting it on the android store (or allowing people to sideload the app). At least I can download an app and not need to worry about how much I trust the developer.
@BigFatDuck
Well, that's true, just like your PC can be turned into a zombie just by installing some random app out there that you have no business installing. People get to take responsibility for themselves in the Android world. Personally I'm totally on board w/ taking that on for the freedom of choosing any applications I want, vs having to let Apple pass apps thru its filter removing those which are competitors to Apple, somehow violates a "policy" (none of which are clearly defined), etc. There's no "right" way to do this - many people prefer the walled garden for its perception of safey, I just happen to prefer choice.
thats rediculous! i suppose thats what happens when apple avoids most of the viruses/hacks because they only have a small market share. hopefully they get more experienced :P
robbiesla@yahoo.com.au