Apple investigating Mobile Safari PDF security issue

“Apple says that it is looking into a reported iPhone security breach after a slew of media reports suggested that the smartphone could be vulnerable to malicious code unwittingly downloaded via a PDF,” James Rogers reports for TheStreet.com.

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“Users visiting a tampered-with Web site and loading a PDF could unknowingly open their devices up to hackers,” Rogers reports. “In a blog post, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at antivirus specialist Sophos, said that the vulnerability is in the mobile version of the Safari Web browser used by Apple’s operating system, specifically its handling of PDFs… iPhones, iPod touches and iPads running version 3.1.2 of Apple’s iOS operating system and higher could be at risk.”

“‘We’re aware of the reports, and we’re investigating,’ an Apple spokeswoman told TheStreet Thursday, but declined to provide any additional details,” Rogers reports. “‘iPhone users should be cautious when browsing unsolicited or suspicious websites, even if they haven’t jailbroken their device,’ Symantec said in a statement.”

Full article here.

Josh Ong reports for AppleInsider, “iPhone Dev Team hacker ‘comex’ was the first to exploit the security flaws, allowing users to jailbreak their iOS devices”

“The vulnerabilities have attracted significant attention this week. Several security firms have issued notices labeling the vulnerabilities ‘critical,'” Ong reports. “A German government agency [also] warned users Wednesday.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Avoid reading PDFs with Mobile Safari until Apple releases an update.

29 Comments

  1. Adobe spawned legacy continues to do its magic. Apple tries to tie PDF read/write to the system as a convenient service to users. Why any document need root access is questionable security decision.

  2. @KingMel

    In what way is the iP4 antenna better than the on on the 3G/3GS? Jobs himself admitted that it drops more calls, on what I can only assume is a more advanced AT&T network – that is I doubt there were less towers erected in the lead-up to the iP4 release.
    And being on the outside it is unarguably more susceptible to attenuation.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m no troll, I’ve tried to replicate the death grip in Australia on my iPhone 4 and could only lose 1 bar, usually none, but in terms of functionality there are few or no benefits in the new design.

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