First Trojan for iPhone discovered in the wild

By Ed Oswald | Published January 9, 2008, 12:04 PM

F-Secure said that it had uncovered the first Trojan horse for the iPhone, which seems to erase user's files in their /bin directory.

Standard iPhone users have nothing to worry about. However, those who have opened up their phones (both locked and unlocked) to install third-party applications are at risk for the exploit.

According to the security firm, the Trojan masks itself as an update to 'Erica's Utilities' and is titled '113prep,' in apparent reference to the upcoming firmware update. Once installed, it does nothing more than display the word 'shoes,' but behind the scenes it is busy deleting all files in the users /bin directory.

This action will break legitimate applications and essentially brick the iPhone. It is not clear if a system restore would be able to reverse the damage done. Additionally, with modifications done to the phone, that would mean taking the phone to the Genius Bar would not be an option either: Apple is refusing to fix modified phones.

Likely anyone who is to have been affected has already been: After the application was discovered by Modmyiphone.com, the site was taken offline. According to F-Secure, the application was created by a 11-year-old developer who was tinkering with XML code.

"Next time it might be someone else with more skills and with specific target," Jarno wrote on the F-Secure blog. "Hopefully this serves as a warning for those who have opened their iPhones using a security hole in the system and then installing unverified software without a second thought to what they are doing."

Comments

Hacked iPhone? It's a lie. We all know that OS X is bullet proof. How could it get hacked in the first place?

Score: 0

|

So only illegally unlocked iPhones can be affected by this? And all the Apple Haters/M$ drones act like the iPhone is somehow insecure? LOL.

Score: 0

|

F-Secure is a bunch of liers.. There will never be a virus for the iPhone.. Steve Jobs would never let this happen.. He shoudl sue them

Score: 0

|

agreed....apple says it is perfect and not prone to anything everything else is. All claims for such things are lies...hehe

Score: 0

|

gosh ... Apple gets some market share and becomes a viable target, imagine that.

Score: 0

|

Impossible. Doesn't the iPhone run a modified version of OS X? It's totally immune to malware. The Apple zealots told me so!

Score: 0

|

Obviously not.

Score: 0

|

"the application was created by a 11-year-old developer who was tinkering with XML code."

Give the kid a job.

Score: 0

|

Imagine how fragile it is, given what someone, oh... 22 could do. Script-kiddies just got excited...

Score: 0

|

hacked iphones are vulnerable? no way!

Score: 0

|

Early adopters knew what they were getting into, they can always buy another.

Score: 0

|

Score: 0

|

Can Linux do BitLocker better than Windows 7?

Betanews kicks off a new series with a look at how the Linux operating system's FDE stacks up against BitLocker, the Windows feature that today commands a $120 premium.

Firefox 3.5: The need for speed

This has been the big payoff week for Mozilla's developers, who worked overtime to squeeze out the last drop of performance from their new JavaScript engine.

'GeoHot' gets a shower, cleans up nice, reveals new iPhone 3G S jailbreak

Either puberty has been very kind to the author of the new 'Purple Ra1n' jailbreak tool, or George Hotz may also have some adequate Photoshop skills.

What's Next: Obama gives 'Einstein' the go-ahead, while China gives 'Green Dam' a thumbs-down

Plus: If you put up a Web site and name it after you and you're a federal judge, you might not want a bunch of weird nudity hanging around on it.

Why would Windows 7 customers spend $120 more for BitLocker?

For pre-orders from now until July 11, Microsoft is offering the Windows 7 Professional SKU for a very steep discount. So why invest in Ultimate?

Geeks vs. journalists: A tale of two worldviews

Recovery with Angela Gunn Why geeks think most mainstream journalism is flaky, and why the mainstream thinks geeks are trying to kill them. (They're both right.)

Fire in downtown Seattle data center knocks out businesses, online services

Small fire has global impact with payment centers, city services down.

Hybrid satellite cell phones aren't far off

The first satellite in Terrestar's hybrid cellular/satellite phone network has been launched.

SMS could be a critical iPhone vulnerability, says white-hat hacker

Mac hacker Charlie Miller knows how to get into your iPhone.

Will Oracle's Java-based Fusion middleware 'fuse' with Java?

Now that Oracle has acquired Sun Microsystems, Java developers and supporters are wondering when Oracle will formally welcome Java into the family.

All together now: iPhone and Palm Pre, likely to both grace O2's UK portfolio

European wireless network operator O2 has reportedly reached a deal to exclusively carry the Palm Pre in the UK. O2,...

Vista's dead: Microsoft kills an OS and no one cares

Carmi Levy: Wide Angle Zoom Can you kill an operating system? Microsoft is about to find out.

Kantaris Media Player 0.5.7

July 3 - 5:34 PM ET

Wine 1.1.25

July 3 - 5:30 PM ET

ChrisTV Online! Free 4.00

July 3 - 5:22 PM ET

glu 1.0.19 RC1

July 3 - 5:11 PM ET

Website-Watcher 5.1.0 Beta 10

July 3 - 1:20 PM ET