German security officials warn that Apple devices are vulnerable to attack
German security statement warns iPhone and iPad users to visit only trustworthy websites and avoid PDFs until Apple releases fix.
Several Apple devices including the iPhone and iPad have two critical security weaknesses for which no patch exists, the German government warned yesterday.
Users of Apple mobile devices should only use websites they deem trustworthy and refrain from opening PDF files until Apple releases a fix, Germany’s federal office for information security said.
“This allows potential attackers access to the complete system, including administrator rights,” the statement warned. “It has to be expected that hackers will soon use the weak spots for attacks.”
Apple said it is investigating reports of vulnerabilities affecting the iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone.
The potential security flaw concerns the mobile internet browser Safari, and the way it opens PDF files in Apple’s iOS software. The vulnerability arose over the weekend when US-based hackers launched JailbreakMe, a browser-based service that can unlock Apple devices from restrictions imposed by the manufacturer.
Early reports suggest this system – last week ruled legal in the US, despite opposition from Apple – exploits the same shortcomings highlighted by the German government. The launch of JailbreakMe brought extensive attention to the vulnerability which security experts warn could be exploited for crime.
The warning relates to iPhones using iOS versions 3.1.2-4.0.1, iPads using iOS 3.2-3.2.1 and the iPod Touch using iOS 3.1.2-4.0, though the German federal office said older versions of the mobile operating system could possibly be affected.
There is a whole sub-marketplace inside of the area of the mobile phone industry place related to the jailbreak or unlocking of the mobile phones so that they can be employed on any mobile network, and recent Supreme Court choices in the USA handed down have confirmed that the jailbreak market is legal and legit. That is, end-user clients are very inside of their legal rights to do what they want to their mobile phone handset to enable the mobile phone to do the job on other network carriers which is frequently known as jailbreak or unlocking the network block.
1Learn how to Jailbreak your iPhone