apple security update closes spyware iwatches

#APPLE SECURITY UPDATE CLOSES SPYWARE IWATCHES PDF#

#APPLE SECURITY UPDATE CLOSES SPYWARE IWATCHES PDF#

In a blog post, Apple said it was issuing a security update for iPhones and iPads because a 'maliciously crafted' PDF file could lead to them being hacked. He said the malicious file causes devices to crash.Ĭitizen Lab says the case reveals, once again, that NSO Group is allowing its spyware to be used against ordinary civilians. It was discovered during a second examination of the phone, which forensics showed had been infected in March. Malicious image files were transmitted to the activist's phone via the iMessage instant-messaging app before it was hacked with NSO's Pegasus spyware, which opens a phone to eavesdropping and remote data theft, Marczak said. 'We're not necessarily attributing this attack to the Saudi government,' said researcher Bill Marczak.Ĭitizen Lab previously found evidence of zero-click exploits being used to hack into the phones of al-Jazeera journalists and other targets, but hasn't previously seen the malicious code itself.Īlthough security experts say that average iPhone, iPad and Mac user generally need not worry - such attacks tend to be limited to specific targets - the discovery still alarmed security professionals. The targeted activist asked to remain anonymous, they said. It was the first time a so-called 'zero-click' exploit - one that doesn't require users to click on suspect links or open infected files - has been caught and analyzed, the researchers said. NSO Group responded with a one-sentence statement saying it will continue providing tools for fighting 'terror and crime.'

The previously unknown vulnerability affected all major Apple devices - iPhones, Macs and Apple Watches, the researchers said. They said they had high confidence that the world's most infamous hacker-for-hire firm, Israel's NSO Group, was behind that attack. Researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab said the security issue was exploited to plant spyware on a Saudi activist's iPhone.

Apple security update closes spyware iwatches