iPhone SMS Hack

**hibby50** · #1 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 12:00 PM

Those great unstoppable iPhones are now very much in danger. With a simple text message they can be taken over and used to send texts, view things from the camera, and listen in to conversation. The SMS allows hackers to execute arbitrary code. Security expert Charlie Miller, the man who found its flaw, said that he'd reveal the details of it at Black Hat security conference. They informed Apple of the problem 6 weeks ago. The attack is enabled by a serious memory corruption bug in the way the iPhone handles SMS messages, said Miller. This can even render the iPhones useless.

Android-based phones were found to be similarly susceptible to an SMS attack, only an attacker could temporarily knock the phone off the cell network but not take control.

Also a bug in the code written by HTC that controls the user interface on Windows Mobile devices could also be exploited via the SMS messages to make it so there are no buttons to push so the phone can't be used.

For the hack to work, the hacker must send hundreds of SMS control messages, which are different from regular SMS messages, according to Miller. Only the initial SMS may be seen, he said. They will demonstrate the attack on an Android phone and an iPhone during their presentation on Thursday.

**dschoenike** · #2 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 03:46 PM

Nice article Hibby. I so dont understand the hacking mentality. I guess i can kinda understand someone doing it for personal gain, but when done soley to attack or terrorize an individual just for the h*ll of it, is beyond me. Literally.
dschoenike

Exil3d · #3 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 05:29 PM

A bit late but more infor here.

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread...76#post1071176

**guitardoc64** · #4 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 06:40 PM

Nice find Hibby. Watch, Wm phones are next. For now, they seem to have an edge over the iPhone. Anybody out there developing security apps? There is a growing market out there, and I haven't seen but a few.

**hibby50** · #5 (**permalink**) 07-30-2009, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitardoc64

Nice find Hibby. Watch, Wm phones are next. For now, they seem to have an edge over the iPhone. Anybody out there developing security apps? There is a growing market out there, and I haven't seen but a few.

Well you are right about WM phones... see my newest article.

jmelan · #6 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 12:22 AM

i think the iphone is the most likely target for a widespread cell phone virus, the identical hardware and software just makes it too easy of a target

EDizzle41 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitardoc64

Nice find Hibby. Watch, Wm phones are next. For now, they seem to have an edge over the iPhone. Anybody out there developing security apps? There is a growing market out there, and I haven't seen but a few.

Who do you think is going to create security programs for it? Probably the people that hack it

The computer virus/anti-virus all works together, it's one big conspiracy. The antiviral developers wouldn't be getting paid if it weren't for the hackers. Who says the hackers have no leverage or nothing to gain?

**darren.wlsn1** · #8 (**permalink**) 07-31-2009, 03:29 PM

iphony fans can breathe again.