Security Breach As Over 225,000 Apple iPhones Hacked

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Large security breach detected with around 250,000 Apple iPhone devices

Hackers have stolen sensitive information from over 225,000 Apple accounts from iPhone customers, making it one of the largest known Apple security breaches caused by malware.

The hackers released information found on the hacked devices, including usernames, passwords and the iPhone’s unique ID. The compromised accounts can be used by others to download apps from the Appstore for free.

According to some users, the hackers are demanding ransoms in order to return compromised accounts back to their rightful owners.

CNN report:

The good news for most iPhone customers is that the malware, nicknamed KeyRaider, only targets “jailbroken” iPhones.

Jail-breaking allows iPhone owners to access parts of a phone’s file systems that are otherwise restricted for security reasons.

KeyRaider is mostly found in Chinese websites and apps that provide software for jailbroken iPhones. But the malware has spread far beyond China, showing up in 18 countries, including the United States.

Once infected with the KeyRaider malware, a jailbroken iPhone will give up all of its owner’s iTunes App Store information to the hackers, including the Apple (AAPL, Tech30) account username, password and the iPhone’s unique ID. It also steals all the information about the owner’s App Store purchases and prevents people from recovering their phones once they’ve been hijacked.

The hackers aren’t keeping all that for themselves: They have allowed other people to take advantage of the stolen account information.

The hackers have uploaded software that lets other people purchase iTunes apps for “free,” using the victims’ accounts. About 20,000 people have downloaded the software that lets them steal from the 225,000 affected iPhone owners.

 

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