iPhoneIndiaBlog.com

A security firm Intego has spotted a new malware called “iPhone/Privacy.A”, that is capable of allowing hackers access personal information that is stored on a jailbroken iPhone and iPhone Touches. If you are on a non-jailbreak iPhone, you are safe.

Basically this virus also utilizes the same OpenSSH access to the jailbroken iPhone using the default ‘alpine’ password and intrudes into iPhone.

When connecting to a jailbroken iPhone, this tool allows a hacker to silently copy a treasure trove of user data from a compromised iPhone: e-mail, contacts, SMSs, calendars, photos, music files, videos, as well as any data recorded by any iPhone app. Unlike the ikee worm, which signals its presence by changing the iPhone’s wallpaper, this hacker tool gives no indication that it has invaded an iPhone.

Intego also notes that the tool works by getting itself installed onto a computer and then scanning the computer’s network to find jailbroken iPhones.

This hacker tool could easily be installed, for example, on a computer on display in a retail store, which could then scan all iPhones that pass within the reach of its network. Or, a hacker could sit in an Internet café and let his computer scan all iPhones that come within the range of the wifi network in search of data. Hackers could even install this tool on their own iPhones, and use it to scan for jailbroken phones as they go about their daily business.

[via - Intego]

This is going to be called the first virus on iPhone. Its called “Ikee” and is affecting jailbroken iPhones in a town in Australia. Basically if you have a jailbroken iPhone, this worm might hit you. But it doesnt cause any serious damage to your iPhone, it simply changes your background to a photo of Rick Astley and looks for other jailbroken iPhones in the network to infect.

Please note that if your iPhone is factory locked, you dont have to worry. And if you have changed your jailbroken iPhone ‘alpine’ password to something else, you are safe. I had covered a post as to how to change the alpine pw, here is that link.

This hacker had posted the transcript of an IRC chat with Ikey over the weekend where he wrote the worm because he “was curious to how far something like this would actually spread.”, He said that it was all in good fun. He infact went ahead and posted the source code of the virus too. [via - MMi]