economictimes
A cybersecurity firm named Kaspersky discovered a campaign that it named – Operation Triangulation. Throughout the inspection, the company found that the attacker infects an iPhone through zero-click exploits using the iMessage platform. The malware operates with “root privileges” that can take control of your device and data. This exploit came to light when the company was monitoring their in-house Wi-Fi network when it noticed suspicious activity on iOS devices.
An iPhone that’s running on iOS receives a message via iMessage with the exploit attachment. Without interaction, it triggers a vulnerability in the software that executes malicious codes. These codes request more exploits for privilege escalation from the C&C server. Once the download process is complete, the message, and the attachment, are deleted. After it gains privilege access, it collects user data and download plugins from the C&C server. It transmits details that include audio recordings, pictures and location data from the infected handset, IANS, citing the team of experts noted. A point worth noting is that the attacker was successful in accessing ‘data stored’ on the device only.
Businesses are advised to ensure the implementation of robust security systems, educating and raising awareness about such threats is equally important. As Kaspersky will make available more information in the future, we can expect more targets of cyber espionage by attackers. Hence, it is recommended that a user should update their software and third-party apps regularly. This will provide help to limit such attempts and further bolster awareness of security on iPhone devices.
