iPhone will be hacker's choice in 2008 - report
updated 05:25 pm EST, Tue December 11, 2007
iPhone target of choice
The iPhone will be a major target for hackers in 2008, with attacks centered around the included Safari web browser, according to a prediction by Arbor Networks Security. The attacks will most likely be bits of malicious code that, when intertwined with benign digital material such as image files, could be capable of executing various harmful commands on the device. Arbor believes that the prospect of attacking Apple users and being among the first to hack a new platform are both big draws for malevolent hackers.
Apple's latest operating system has also come under fire lately, with a denial of service vulnerability being the latest, following closely on a multi-faceted Quicktime exploit. The exploit can open users machines to anything from surrender control of the machine to a remote user, to stealing virtual currency in Second Life – Linden dollars can be swapped for real-world money at a current ratio of L$266 to $1 USD.
wanna bes
12/11, 07:01pm reply
another half-a** "security" firm issues another full-a** report.
And talk about bogus - "the prospect of attacking Apple users" - that, of course, is why there are thousands of OSX viruses out there. The only "people" attacking Apples are lame "being a hacker is so exciting" so-called security experts.
Sure, the iPhone will be a target, no denying that. And, no doubt, a****** companies like this will be the first to try in order to sell their services.
Doofuses.
robttwo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2005
Linden Dollar thing...
12/11, 07:03pm reply
Wasn't it a Windows box that got exploited?
As far as I know, the Mac version of QuickTime will just quit if attacked using this exploit.
Secondly, why is Arbor Network Security's prediction news? I predict that OS X will gain 50% market share by the end of 2008...
chefpastry
Mac Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2005
RE: "Why news?"
12/11, 11:40pm reply
In case we haven't figured it out yet, MacNN loves to put these inflammatory headlines out there, however insignificant or dumb-assed they may be. And the why is simple- people who regularly read out there love to flame these posts, adding more eyeballs on their [really annoying] ads and more $$ for them.
Plus, it gets them more search hits. Just think- joe shmo wants to make sure if he buys a mac all the hype about security isn't just hype, but the real situation. He sees words like teh above headlines and has to check it out, because it might change his take on the situation.
The only saving grace MacNN has is that they're pretty quick to pick up all of the news sources out there and bring them to you in one feed. If it weren't for RSS and the ability to not view headlines I know are spurious, I'd never visit they're site.
If you haven't been warned yet, now you know to take everything you read from the articles' writers/relay writers with a fist-full of salt.
danviento
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2005
Won't happen
12/12, 04:17am reply
Apple is still seen as the good guy of the industry. There's no fun in hacking a phone hackers might own...
SillyPooh
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2000