Today the iPhone iOS 9 software update will be made available to countless consumers and with it comes a serious security update that can protect users from a bluetooth iPhone attack. For those who can’t stop using their phones, there is also added battery life coming as well.
“On Wednesday, Australian security researcher and consultant Mark Dowd revealed that iOS 9 includes a patch for a security vulnerability he warned Apple about just over a month ago,” according to Wired.
“The attack, which he demonstrates in the video below, would allow someone to install malicious apps on iPhones and Macs via their Bluetooth-enabled Airdrop filesharing feature. Anyone in range of a target device with the feature enabled could plant malware on the phone or PC, even if the victim didn’t tap ‘accept’ for the offered file.”
The more dangerous aspect of this hack is that the iPhone does not have to be jailbroken in order for attackers to carry out the hack. Attackers wait until the phone is rebooted in order to start implanting malware into the device. It’s pretty significant especially for users who depend on their mobile devices for storage of photos and other personal information.
“Dowd outlines two types of threats that could result from his Bluetooth attack,” according to the report.
“First, a hacker could silently scout for users with Airdrop enabled within Bluetooth range—say, in a crowded place like a train or mall—and start planting malicious programs on their phones or Macbooks.”
It’s not very common to see Apple have such a wide range of vulnerabilities but they are present and the company has taken a proactive approach to remedying the situation. Wired is urging anyone with the current iOS 8.4.1 to upgrade to iOS 9 as soon as it becomes available in order to prevent the hack from happening.
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