Hackers target iPhones and Macintosh computers

// added August 10, 2008 // 24 comments //
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Security specialists said that hackers are taking increasing aim at iPhones and Macintosh computers as the hot-selling Apple devices gain popularity worldwide.

Hackers have historically focused devious efforts on computers using Windows operating systems because the Microsoft software has more than 90 percent of the global market, promising evil-doers a wealth of targets.

Macintosh computers have been gaining market share and catching the interest of hackers, according to Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) security vulnerability analyst Cameron Hotchkies.

"There are more eyes looking over Apple products for vulnerabilities," Hotchkies told AFP at a notorious annual DefCon gathering of hackers in Las Vegas. "It has slowly been growing as a target people are more and more interested in."

Hotchkies specializes in Apple software as part of a ZDI team devoted to scrutinizing programming holes and crafting "patches" to prevent hackers from exploiting weaknesses. More than a thousand people crammed into his DefCon talk about hacking Apple software. He was peppered with technical questions at the close of the session.

"There are a lot more people getting into it and really getting their hands dirty," said Hotchkies, who noted an obvious spike this year in the number of DefCon attendees toting Macintosh laptops. "I've been seeing a lot of reverse engineering on the Apple platform."

Part of the reason for increased popularity of Macintosh computers is that Apple has made the machines friendlier to running programs popular on Windows-based machines. Hackers experienced with attacking Windows programs can apply some of their know-how to software modified to run on Macintosh computers.

Developers that re-craft Windows programs for Macintosh systems might not be adept at building security components on the latest Leopard operating system used in Apple machines.

"Windows developers take their code and make it work on Apple," Hotchkies said. "They could take potential vulnerabilities with them or possibly create new ones because they are working on an entirely different platform."

Apple's Safari operating system is the basis for internet browsing using iPhones, which are basically handheld mini-computers with telephone, music, and video viewing capabilities. It took about a month for someone to hack a first-generation iPhone after its release, but an iPhone 3G was cracked within hours of the start of sales in July.

The hack is crowned a "jail break" because it liberates iPhone models from the shackles of deals Apple has with telecom giants providing exclusive service to the devices in varying countries. "It shows people are getting proficient at analyzing Apple software," Hotchkies said.

"There are people looking at the iPhone. We pass vulnerabilities on to vendors, and when I communicate with Apple the first thing they ask is if we've tested it on the iPhone. They don't want to be surprised."

Apple engineers are also addressing "legacy issues," protecting old software from new threats, according to Hotchkies.
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  2. tags:
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24 comments // Hackers target iPhones and Macintosh computers

  • Entrancing
    • 0
      Entrancing  

    • hackers make me nervous, my computer got hacked and the guy even contacted me and harrased me for no reason....

      why does everybody gatta pick on me :(

      stop hacking- its not nice.

    • 1 year ago
  • purplefox
    • 0
      purplefox  

    • Shoot, I knew this was only gonna be for a matter of time... Hopefully Apple will properly wake up to this - and not make us all pay for the privelidge of protecting ourselves from the results of their success.

    • 1 year ago
  • fire2box
    • 0
      fire2box  

    • So much for mac's have no viruses. I have always said once mac's finally get decent market share they will start to get stuff like this. Personally I am very happy this is happening so now Mac/apple fanboys can shut up about it. If its a computer or other device it can and will be hacked at some point.

    • 1 year ago
  • HathamAlShabibi
    • 0
      HathamAlShabibi  

    • Finally something to put this whole pretentious liberal-cafe going-I love Macs because they look good-image back on the ground.

      Apple is not bulletproof.

      Nothing is.

      Except for bulletproof vests, in which case you just aim for the head.

    • 1 year ago
  • mjsmith11
    • 0
      mjsmith11  

    • So, where are these hacks? This is all a bunch of loud talk. If these hackers and crackers could do even half of the damage inflicted on windows-based machines, they would have done it by now. Just a small insignificant hack on a Mac machine will make headlines.

    • 1 year ago
  • T_Rose
  • shelchak
    • 0
      shelchak  

    • Sigh. Well, it's been only a matter of time, I suppose. But it's been so wonderful NOT being repeatedly asked if I want to increase my penile function (especially since I'm female...) [irol]

    • 1 year ago
  • malathion
    • 0
      malathion  

    • if you have an old ipod laying around and time to kill check out

      ipod.hackaday.com/
      it's not always good , but it's sometimes brilliant .

    • 1 year ago
  • 9INE
    • 0
      9INE  

    • If they can get through iphones, it is a matter of time before someone can get through the OS.

      We as Apple consumers are promoting such movements because we all hate windows and the vulnerability it provides.

      Hack away friends!

    • 1 year ago
  • Neghie
  • GLiz
  • cheakywillie
    • 0
      cheakywillie  

    • first of all any computer OS system can be hacked and people have been doing it for a long time
      what I think we should worry about (mac users)
      are stupid viruses that people put on the net
      that is the scary part that people have feel it necessary to disrupt of peoples machine

    • 1 year ago
  • ultravphunter
  • phillyharper
  • scvar
  • pstuart
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  

    • Good.

      The fact that apple hardcodes all their shit is a fucking crime.

      Most people don't understand what a danger closed off computer systems are.

    • 1 year ago
  • nounshooter
    • 0
      nounshooter  

    • I have to call bullshit. The guy that hacks or cracks a mac is going to be famous.
      Therefore I think people have been trying since the first day stevo said its not possible.
      It's not because more people use windoze, its no big deal to hack a PC my 80 YO grandma can do that.

      Anyway, I say come boys keep trying, keep failing, then go get a real job.

      Thanks for your time

    • 1 year ago
  • relikpL
  • kennymotown
  • AceHardchester
  • Midnight_DevilX
    • 0
      Midnight_DevilX  

    • Matt, what you are talking about are CRACKERS, not HACKERS. Hackers use their own software to HACk, whereas, CRACKERS use HACKERS software to CRACK into systems. I myself am considered a CRACKER amongst the HACKING community :)

      And, yes, it was only a matter of time.

    • 1 year ago
  • mattbrawn
    • 0
      mattbrawn  
    • Image...

    • It's only been a matter of time.

      People have always seen Macs as the 'safer' option against hackers, but as the article states, that's only because people were watching the world through Microsoft windows. Hackers go where there's demand, and with the amount of iPhones, MacBooks and iPods that have been sold recently, demand must be pretty high.

      And I've gotta agree that more people are getting their hands dirty, a simple google search brings up all the 'jailbreaking' software you'd ever need to crack an iPhone, and after reading the reviews, it sounds like someone's grandmother could do it.

      Gone are the days of hackers been uber-geeks, hackers have developed tools that has opened the doors to a whole wealth of 'bedroom-hackers.'

    • 1 year ago
  • SDLN
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