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Latest beta of iOS 7 blocks potential iPhone charger hack

iOS-7-charging-featured

We reported a couple of months ago a proof-of-concept allowing a modified phone charger to inject malware into a non-jailbroken iPhone without user intervention.

While there is no evidence that the method has ever been used in the wild, Reuters reports that iOS 7 beta 4 contains a fix for the vulnerability … 

Apple said the issue had been fixed in the latest beta of iOS 7, which has already been released to software developers.

“We would like to thank the researchers for their valuable input,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said.

The hack worked by embedding a tiny Linux computer into a charger. In the latest beta, a message pops up to warn users that they are connecting to a computer rather than a charger.

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Comments

  1. Aaron Michael de Silva - 11 years ago

    Its also good when you plug into a friends computer and you don’t want it to backup or sync data. =)

  2. Mark3785 (@Mark3785) - 11 years ago

    That was quick.

  3. Pedro Nascimento - 11 years ago

    When you plug into a computer it asks “Do you trust this computer?”. I don’t know what triggered it, but it only has happened once.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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