Hackers have stolen over 225,000 Apple accounts from iPhone customers.
According to CNN, security company Palo Alto is calling the attack “the largest known Apple account theft caused by malware.” Palo Alto Networks discovered the hack along with Chinese tech group WeipTech.
The good news for most iPhone customers is that the malware only affected “jailbroken” iPhones. Thousands of people obtain “jailbroken” phones in order to gain access to apps or systems that are otherwise restricted for security reasons. Jailbreaking phones are seen as a useful way for tech savvy iPhone owners to customer their iPhones. But, it also bypasses some important barriers Apple puts in place to prevent these kind of attacks from happening.
The malware which is being called KeyRaider allowed for hackers to obtain an iPhone user’s iTune’s App Store information, including the Apple account username, password and the iPhone’s unique ID. It also seals all the information about the owner’s App Store purchases and prevents people from recovering their phones once they’ve been hacked.
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 infected iPhone owners.
Palo Alto Networks argue their victims have reported that their Apple account purchase history has displayed apps they never bought. Others say their phones have been locked, and the hackers are demanding a ransom to return access to the owners.
