{"225501":{"#nid":"225501","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Uncovers iOS Security Weaknesses","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) have discovered two security weaknesses that permit installation of malware onto Apple mobile devices using seemingly innocuous applications and peripherals, uncovering significant security threats to the iOS platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cApple utilizes a mandatory app review process to ensure that only approved apps can run on iOS devices, which allows users to feel safe when using any iOS app,\u201d said GTISC Associate Director Paul Royal, also a research scientist in the College of Computing. \u201cHowever, we have discovered two weaknesses that allow circumvention of Apple\u2019s security measures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing different approaches, research scientists Tielei Wang and Billy Lau learned that malware can be installed onto iOS devices via Trojan Horse-style applications and peripherals. Wang\u2019s approach hides malicious code that would otherwise get rejected during the Apple review process. Once the malicious app passes review and is installed on a user\u2019s device, it can be instructed to carry out malicious tasks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWang\u2019s team developed a proof-of-concept attack, called Jekyll, which rearranges its own code to create new functionality that is not exhibited during Apple\u2019s approval process. This allows the malicious aspects of the app to remain undetected when reviewed and therefore obtain Apple\u2019s approval.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were able to successfully publish a malicious app and use it to remotely launch attacks on a controlled group of devices,\u201d said Wang. \u201cOur research shows that despite running inside the iOS sandbox, a Jekyll-based app can successfully perform many malicious tasks, such as posting tweets, taking photos, sending email and SMS, and even attacking other apps \u2013 all without the user\u2019s knowledge.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETaking a different approach, Lau decided to investigate the extent to which security threats were considered when performing everyday activities such as charging a device. Lau and his team created a proof-of-concept malicious charger using a small, inexpensive single-board computer. Called Mactans, it can easily be constructed to resemble a normal iPhone or iPad charger. However, once plugged into an iOS device, Mactans stealthily installs a malicious app.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDespite the plethora of defense mechanisms in iOS, Mactans was able to install arbitrary apps within one minute of being plugged into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating system software,\u201d said Lau. \u201cAll users are affected, as our approach requires neither a jailbroken device nor user interaction.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBoth Wang and Lau\u2019s teams notified Apple upon the discovery of these security weaknesses. Following GTISC\u2019s disclosure of Mactans, Apple implemented a feature in iOS 7 that notifies users when they plug their mobile device into any peripheral that attempts to establish a data connection. Apple has indicated that it is continuing to work on ways to address the weaknesses revealed through Jekyll and, as of yet, has not publicly released a solution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese results are concerning and challenge previous assumptions of iOS device security,\u201d said Royal. \u201cHowever, we\u2019re pleased that Apple has responded to some of these weaknesses and hope that they will address our other concerns in future updates.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELau and Wang\u2019s findings are summarized in two papers: \u201cMactans: Injecting Malware into iOS Devices via Malicious Chargers,\u201d to be presented at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.blackhat.com\/us-13\/briefings.html\u0022\u003EBlack Hat USA 2013\u003C\/a\u003E conference July 27-Aug. 1 in Las Vegas; and \u201cJekyll on iOS: When Benign Apps Become Evil,\u201d to be presented at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity13\/jekyll-ios-when-benign-apps-become-evil\u0022\u003E2013 USENIX Security Symposium\u003C\/a\u003E August 14-16 in Washington, D.C.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Attackers can compromise your iPhone through chargers and apps"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC) have discovered two security weaknesses that permit installation of malware onto Apple mobile devices using seemingly innocuous applications and peripherals, uncovering significant security threats to the iOS platform.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"GTISC researchers have discovered two security weaknesses that permit installation of malware onto Apple mobile devices."}],"uid":"27560","created_gmt":"2013-07-31 08:06:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:38","author":"Jason Maderer","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/","title":"College of Computing"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.gtisc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Information Security Center"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2895","name":"Apple"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"9290","name":"iPhone"},{"id":"7772","name":"malware"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003EMedia Relations\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-2966\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maderer@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}