It’s called KeyRaider and it appears to be the largest known malware-related Apple account theft in iOS history.
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KeyRaider is being distributed through Cydia repositories in China, but might be affecting users in 18 nations, including France, Australia and the United States, according to Palo Alto Networks. Apple has not released any statement regarding the issue.
“Every IT security person knows that cracking an iPhone exposes users to unnecessary personal risk but the bigger picture unfolds when that iPhone connects to a resource inside the place of work”, Foisy said. The malware could also be used to hold a phone to ransom, or steal the information stored in the cloud on the Apple account. They say the hackers then offered to unlock their phone for a ransom. Palo Alto has confirmed reports of ransomware exploits, with users receiving payment demands from hackers in exchange for handing back control of their phone.
“The hackers have uploaded software that lets other people purchase iTunes apps for “free, ‘ using the victims” accounts”. The potential downside is that such unapproved third-party apps are far more likely to harbor unsafe forms of malware.
KeyRaider targets Apple mobile devices that have been jail-broken, or altered to run applications or other software not sanctioned by the California-based maker of iPhones, iPads and iPods.
“We named this new iOS malware family “KeyRaider” because it raids victims’ passwords, private keys and certificates”, PAN wrote.
Among the data that can be access from the stolen Apple passwords are emails, messages and pictures. In the past, for example, jailbreaking was the only way iPhone users could multitask or tether their cellular connection on the iPhone to use it as a hot spot.
While the breach has been fully discovered and its roots understood by tech experts, Gizmodo warns that a jailbroken iPhone is a recipe for disaster. Apple warns iPhone users not to resort to jailbreaking due to risks of account information theft and virus infiltration. But it’s also a great way to expose yourself to malware.
So, from an iPhone owner’s perspective, the upside of jailbreaking your phone is that (obviously) you have the freedom to install any compatible app, rather than be limited to the narrower selection pre-approved by Apple.
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For the more technologically savvy, PAN steps you though a how-to process of checking in its report.
