{"id":37355,"date":"2014-08-18T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2014-08-18T15:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=37355"},"modified":"2025-08-07T21:40:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T04:40:38","slug":"iphone-connection-vulnerability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/iphone-connection-vulnerability\/","title":{"rendered":"The iPhone\u2019s Biggest Weakness May Be Your Computer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mobile malware<\/a> is the fastest growing security threat we face today. But that threat has long been lopsided, and unfortunately, Android mobile operating system has seen the brunt of attacks due to its immense popularity and accessibility around the globe. Apple\u2019s iOS ecosystem, while also widely popular, has maintained a mostly malware free presence. Even law enforcement agencies have a hard time cracking iOS<\/a>\u2019 security shell.<\/p>\n

But that shell may have a weak spot, and that is your phone\u2019s connection to your computer. That\u2019s the conclusion a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology came to after rigorously testing Apple\u2019s ecosystem and finding that while the system itself is secure, the weakness lies in the other systems the smartphone connects to in sync operations. The team, according to IDG News Service<\/em>, is set to present its findings at the Usenix Security Symposium.<\/p>\n

Until recently, iOS devices synced with computers through what\u2019s known as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. This white cable would carry all of your phone\u2019s data over to your computer. Your computer, in return, would update your phone with new applications you may have purchased or new songs, and sync other data such as contacts and settings to your smartphone.<\/p>\n

But Apple has since introduced a feature that allows you to sync over Wi-Fi, which lets you do the same tasks, but without the need to connect your USB cable to your computer to do so. And therein lies the danger: data, whether over cable or Wi-Fi, leaves the safety of your mobile device and travels across an unsecured space, providing hackers with an in to your \u201ciDevice.\u201d<\/p>\n

When your device transfers data to and from a computer, it does so trustingly. However, it cannot tell if your computer is infected with malicious software, or \u201cmalware,\u201d which gives hackers their in. If a computer is infected with a piece of malware designed to work in a botnet<\/a>\u2014or a network of computers working together over the Internet to achieve a desired goal\u2014a hacker has the chance to trick your iDevice into downloading a malicious app without your knowledge.<\/p>\n

It does so in two ways: first, it uses an Apple ID belonging to you or someone else; second, it manipulates a developer certificate\u2014used to show that an app is legitimate\u2014to trick the iDevice into thinking it\u2019s downloading a safe app. When in fact, it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, though, this attack has\u2014to our knowledge\u2014only been exploited by security research professionals.<\/p>\n

Tips to Protect Yourself from Malware<\/h2>\n

So what can you do to lessen the likelihood of downloading malware onto your mobile device? Well, thankfully, there are a few things you can do:<\/p>\n