Never gonna give your iPhone up...

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8349905.stm

The first worm to infect the Apple iPhone has been discovered spreading \"in the wild\" in Australia.
The self-propagating program changes the phone's wallpaper to a picture of 80s singer Rick Astley with the message \"ikee is never going to give you up\".
The worm, known as ikee, only affects \"jail-broken\" phones, where a user has removed Apple's protection mechanisms to allow the phone to run any software.
Experts say the worm is not harmful but more malicious variants could follow.
\"The creator of the worm has released full source code of the four existing variants of this worm,\" wrote Mikko Hypponen of security firm F-secure.
\"This means that there will quickly be more variants, and they might have nastier payload than just changing your wallpaper.\"
The picture of Rick Astley is believed to be a nod to the internet phenomenon known as Rickrolling, where web users are tricked into clicking on what they believe is a relevant link, only to find that it actually takes the user to a video of the pop star's song \"Never gonna give you up\".

'Stupid people'

The worm has so far only been found circulating in Australia, where the hacker - Ashley Towns - who wrote the program lives.
The 21-year-old told Australia's ABC News Online that he created the virus to raise the issue of security.
It only exploits jail-broken phones that have SSH installed, a program that enables other devices to connect to the phone and modify the system and files.
The worm is able to infect phones if their owners have not changed the default password after installing SSH.
\"What's clear is that if you have jail-broken your iPhone or iPod Touch, and installed SSH, then you must always change your root user password to something different than the default, 'alpine',\" wrote Graham Cluley of security firm Sophos.
\"In fact, it would be a good idea if you didn't use a dictionary word at all.\"
After a phone becomes infected it disables the SSH service, preventing reinfection.
The code contains numerous comments from Mr Towns about his motivation.

Jail breaking allows a user to run non-Apple approved software

One comment reads: \"People are stupid and this is to prove it.\"
\"It's not that hard guys. But hey who cares its only your bank details at stake.\"
The worm can be removed by changing the phone's password and deleting some files.
Some estimates suggest that up to 10% of all iPhones and iPod Touch are jail-broken.
The practice allows a phone user to install software and applications that have not been approved by Apple.
\"Phone users may rush into jail-breaking their iPhones in order to add functionality that Apple may have denied to them, but if they do so carelessly they may also risk their iPhone becoming the target of a hacker,\" said Mr Cluley.
\"My prediction is that we may see more attacks like this in the future.\"
Who puts their banking info on their easily stealable phone?
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if it's signed onto iTunes, wouldn't that be your bank info as well? I mean, not directly, but you could still drain it purchasing from there?

*frowns at her sad, old phone*
 
I don't know, i don't have an iPhone either...

I always assumed they bill you in the phone bill or something... seems like the sensible thing to do... (although iTunes works on computers, so sure).

But they'd be stuck with only buying DRM'd songs, don't know how that helps them besides getting a kick out of draining your card...
 
Well seeing how they needed to have 1 program and not replace it's default password jailbreaking it just step 1 in a long road of stupid...
 
Seriously, if you "hack" your own device, that means other people can too. Why would you store ANYTHING of importance on it? :facepalm:

That'd be like me leaving my credit card info on my Modded PSP. :blue:
 
what I can't wait for is people to start using this to attack apple.

You know, despite the fact that people had to hack their phones to be affected.
 
S

SeraRelm

I dislike the concept of people assuming Apple is superior based on it's safety concerning worms and viruses when the only reason it's safe at all is because they force you to use (and pay out the ass) for their software and only their software. I'm sure police states are safer as well, but it doesn't make them better.


All that aside, I'm still tempted to get one and jailbreak it.
 
oh. no. if i put a dubious program on my iphone it can be hacked? no wai.

(this post brought to you via ipod. i haet math class)
 
C

Chibibar

I dislike the concept of people assuming Apple is superior based on it's safety concerning worms and viruses when the only reason it's safe at all is because they force you to use (and pay out the ass) for their software and only their software. I'm sure police states are safer as well, but it doesn't make them better.


All that aside, I'm still tempted to get one and jailbreak it.
Apple is not really safer. The way I understanding it, hackers want to destroy stuff on a large scale. Microsoft has a lot of presence around the world, it just more target.

If it was the other way around (Apple instead of MS) then MS today would be saying "We are secure, we don't get virus" :)
 
oh. no. if i put a dubious program on my iphone it can be hacked? no wai.

(this post brought to you via ipod. i haet math class)
According to the article it isn't even that dubious, it just allows you to connect to the phone from outside... and the idiots left the default password on... shouldn't even count as hacking really...
 
G

GeneralOrder24

And people told me I was stupid for refusing to jailbreak my iPod...

The touch? There's no reason to, aside from the fact that it breaks the stupid coverflow thing that the ipod does when turned sideways, which prevents you from hitting the next button until it's vertical again.

All of the homebrew apps were craptastic, and it was more glitchy than normal after a jailbreak.
 
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