14 DAY TRIAL // Security researchers warn that cyber criminals are exploiting the news that jailbroking iPhones is now legal in the United States. Rogue spam emails are trying to pass an information stealing trojan as an iPhone unlocking software.
Earlier this week U.S. federal regulators have ruled that iPhone jailbreaking is considered “fair use” under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Jailbreaking refers to the practice of modifying the iPhone operating system in order to allow applications that were not explicitly approved by Apple to run.
The news has been very well received by users of the extremely popular handset causing cyber crooks to try and capitalize on the increased public interest into the subject. A new spam campaign currently in circulation advertises a trojan as an iPhone jailbreaking program.
“Our software is compatible with all firmwares (including the latest version) and will unlock 3G, 3GS, & 2G iPhone models within just a few minutes. […] You can download the iPhone unlocking software from here: www.unlock[CENSORED]/iphone3gs-3g.exe,” the rogue emails claim.
Security researchers from BitDefender, who intercepted and analyzed the attack, note that the executable file is in fact a computer trojan with keylogging capabilities, which is detected by the company's products as Trojan.Generic.3010833. Once installed on a system, the malware forwards all captured data to a hotmail.com email address.
“This allows the malware creators to intercept the victim’s visited sites, usernames, passwords, bank accounts information, such as pin number, bank account numbers, passwords, etc.,” the BitDefender experts warn. “In order to stay safe, never open suspicious links or attachments without scanning them first. Install and update a complete AntiMalware software solution,” they advise.
However, in addition to the malware risks associated with downloading jailbreaking software off the Internet, people interested in unlocking their iPhones should also be aware that the practice voids the warranty of their devices. Aside from this, jailbroken iPhones are exposed to more threats compared to locked-down ones, since they accept software that has not been properly scrutinized.
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