New iOS Keylogging Vulnerability Discovered 72
exomondo writes "Following hot on the heels of the iOS (and OS X) SSL security bug comes the latest vulnerability in Apple's mobile operating system. It is a security bug that can be used as a vector for malware to capture touch screen, volume rocker, home button and (on supported devices) TouchID sensor presses, information that could be sent to a remote server to re-create the user's actions. The vulnerability exists in even the most recent versions of iOS and the authors claim that they delivered a proof-of-concept monitoring app through the App Store."
Linux and windows have vulnerabilities (Score:5, Insightful)
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At least Microsoft is conducting research to reduce bugs.
See for example: http://research.microsoft.com/... [microsoft.com]
Not sure where Apple stands.
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We don't know because Apple never comments on things. It's a black box.
Re:Linux and windows have vulnerabilities (Score:5, Funny)
Not sure where Apple stands.
On a mahogany patio, looking at a gold-plated Olympic-size swimming pool full of cash, smiling before wading in.
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Not sure where Apple stands.
On a mahogany patio, looking at a gold-plated Olympic-size swimming pool full of cash, smiling before wading in.
...On the yacht...
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this one relies on apps that run in the background and "listen" to touch inputs
since android is multitasking as well i assume it has the same issues
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Background tasks don't receive touch input. That's why they are in the background.
Unless you are iOS and have this vulnerability.
Re:Linux and windows have vulnerabilities (Score:5, Insightful)
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Quite a number of applications use Adobe AIR as their framework, which is effectively Flash.
Flash in a Browser is, of course, a different story.
stfu and learn noob (Score:2)
Re:stfu and learn noob (Score:4, Informative)
Yeah, that one piece of malware is a real pain.
Yes, malware for OSX and iOS does exist. It is very possible. But the problem seems to be about the same size as malware for Linux at this stage. By that I mean there is very little of anecdotal evidence of widespread, active malware in the wild targeting OSX, iOS and Linux. The same can't be said for Windows.
So far I've never been hit on OSX, iOS or Linux. I've had plenty of Windows machines go down in flames though. I still have friends of family for which this is a fairly regular occurrence. Even myself, I had a fully patched Windows VM just for testing websites in IE. No antivirus installed. Visited some legitimate news and html/css sites... Boom. Malware installed.
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Yep. I concur. (Score:2)
No virus' or trojans on any of my OSX or Linux boxes over the past 8 or so years. Lots on the windows boxes in the past.
But times are changing as they will.
The higher OSX gets or iOS gets the more likely folks will be seriously targeting these platforms.
Just simple economics really.
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Yeah, that one piece of malware is a real pain.
Yes, malware for OSX and iOS does exist. It is very possible. But the problem seems to be about the same size as malware for Linux at this stage. By that I mean there is very little of anecdotal evidence of widespread, active malware in the wild targeting OSX, iOS and Linux. The same can't be said for Windows.
So far I've never been hit on OSX, iOS or Linux. I've had plenty of Windows machines go down in flames though. I still have friends of family for which this is a fairly regular occurrence. Even myself, I had a fully patched Windows VM just for testing websites in IE. No antivirus installed. Visited some legitimate news and html/css sites... Boom. Malware installed.
Mac Malware Outbreak Is Bigger than 'Conficker' [pcworld.com]
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By that I mean there is very little of anecdotal evidence of widespread, active malware in the wild targeting OSX, iOS and Linux.
Actually iOS seems to be a very popular target for NSA malware. Check out their malware catalogue, they have a lot of stuff targeting iOS.
Get out of your tower of Illusion (Score:1)
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You seem confused as to the topic. I repeat. OSX is not iOS. iOS doesn't have flash, nor flashback, nor any need for anti-virus. Anti-virus could only check for know malware, and known malware is removed by Apple anyway.
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So iOS does have anti-virus, in the form of Apple's ability to remotely delete malware based on signatures.
If (app_id == KNOWN_MALWARE_72) uninstall();
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Well probably not based on signatures, no. There's no need when each app has a unique App ID.
Now as anyone interested in security knows, security is not a single defensive wall. It's a series of walls, such that whilst an attacker might break through one, they are then met with another wall. As a final wall in the iOS security, Apple does have the ability to kill malware remotely. There's not been the need to use it as yet.
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You didn't even read the summary? That's very /. of you
" iOS (and OS X) SSL security bug comes the latest vulnerability in Apple's mobile operating system"
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I will try to include pie-in-the-face gags and poop in my next humor-based post.
NO SLASHDOTTER LEFT BEHIND!!!!
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Hehe you missed a fairly thick joke there :)
No one is denying that another vulnerability was found. Vulnerabilities will be found in any software.
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apple software has "bugs".
It's a glitch.
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apple software has "bugs".
It's a glitch.
And the Bobs fixed it.
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And if they allow privilege escalation they're called "jailbreaks".
But how are users treated? (Score:2)
Any complex software has bugs and perfection is never available. The important question remains: how are the users treated? If the software respects a user's freedoms to run, inspect, share, and modify the software [gnu.org], users are treated well. If these freedoms are not respected, the user is subjugated. This is an ethical issue with technical ramifications.
Non-free programs (such as Microsoft Windows and Apple's OSes) are designed and licensed to prohibit anyone but the proprietor from understanding how the sof
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I shouldn't need to be explaining this on Slashdot, but the two are not necessarily the same, and one is not a polite euphemism for the other. A bug may lead to a vulnerability, or it may not, since it could be as benign as unexpected output for the provided input or as dangerous as the stuff we hear about here each day.
In contrast, vulnerabilities are always dangerous, though to varying extents, and they may not always be caused by software bugs (though I suppose there is an argument to be made that you ca
Goes to show... (Score:5, Insightful)
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gaining a larger market share?
they are going backwards.....
the only place that buys apple products in a large quantity is the US....
9% market share..... yep everyone is buy them
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Actually, they haven't. They've never dominated the marketplace.
Their phones only passed Blackberry's highest marketshare only in 2012 / 2013.
Re:Can we just go back to the gotofail bug for a s (Score:5, Informative)
They just released the patch for OS X, actually.
http://appleinsider.com/articl... [appleinsider.com]
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How do we know that this "patch" don't open up a new "NSA backdoor" somewhere else?
Because the piece that was patched is open source.
Go have a look through the code if you like.
Is this a real vulnerability or hype? (Score:3, Insightful)
The method of how the app was installed on a non-jail broken device was not discussed. While I would say that being able to capture touches and such by an background app is a potential threat, getting the software on a device is easier said than done.
Mobile Management Systems (MMS) have access to APIs that can also do these sorts of things.
I would venture that this was one using either developer mode or as an enterprise app and not through the the AppStore. Jailbroken devices are, clearly, more at risk.
Now...a bigger question. Can the same be done on Android devices? I am betting "Yes"????
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Now...a bigger question. Can the same be done on Android devices? I am betting "Yes"????
I'd be willing to bet that it can as well.
So what does that mean? iOS is just as vulnerable as Android?
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iOS is just as vulnerable as Android?
Not quite. It just means that iOS isn't as invulnerable as many claim.
So far /. is at 3% reading comprehension rate (Score:3)
Nothing significant to see here. Yeah, more restrictions from Apple development guidelines coming due to asshats being asshats. *sigh*
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So, someone who's breaking the ToS (not being rogue) has to put an app out, then you have to install it, and then it's scraping inputs.
Oh so it's not a security vulnerability if it's against the Terms of Service, wow Microsoft should implement a ToS and then most of their Windows security issues will cease to exist.
This isn't a security vulnerability as most responses on here opine about.
Of course it is, how do you figure that a process running in the background being able to break out of the sandbox restrictions and capture all inputs is not a security vulnerability? You would have to be a complete Apple shill to be in such denial about a bug like this.
My car has a gas pedal. Does the ECM for engine management have a "security vulnerability," because I can press hard on the right pedal and do 180mph (illegal by federal law)?? No. It's functioning as designed.
Yet the application sandboxing in iOS is clearly not workin
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you have to install a rogue app.
That is how most malware works, unless you have a privilege escalation bug. And iOS has had at least one such web-based drive-by bug (jailbreakme.com) so there are probably more undiscovered ones.
So, someone who's breaking the ToS
I can't imagine people looking to infect devices with keylogging malware are living in fear of the terms of service.
This isn't a security vulnerability as most responses on here opine about.
Of course it is. Background processes capturing touch
Re:So far /. is at 2.5% reading comprehension rate (Score:2)
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You entirely missed the point. There is no "log all keyboard input" permission for apps to request. I don't think the TOS are very likely to prevent a black hat deploying the exploit. Since Apple doesn't examine every line of code in apps they approve they now need to either close the hole or develop a tool to detect when compiled code tries to make use of it.
I expect a few apps will be getting updates to remove this exploit now, before Apple closes it off and notices them crashing.
How to get compromised .. (Score:1)
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The real danger here is the ability for the system to automatically update apps to the latest version, which has been a feature since the release of iOS 7. The threat comes from when a developer of an existing app sells it to another company intent on updating that app to include this piece of malware. Suddenly, that little-known game you play every day is a trojan just waiting to infect you the next time you play it. So while the steps that you outlined are still the same, the change here is that steps 1 a
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You can opt-out, certainly. How many will? How many will not just hit the "update all" button if they do opt out?
Not a new thing (Score:2)
There have always been holes in the App Store and sometimes you can sneak things through.
The difference is if you try such things and you app becomes even remotely popular, Apple can pull your app and even your developer account so the actual window where your fraud or evil tricks can result in some kind of gain is very small.
I'm not sure why people constantly fail to recognize this.
Similarly with the SSL flaw... Apple pushes iOS updates in a way Android users can only dream of; within a month more than 90%