Archive for the ‘Mobile’ Category

iPhone Virus: iPhone/Privacy.A

11 Nov 2009 at 10:04

Terry Moore

Internet, iPhone, Mobile, Technical

No Comment

Earlier this week a hacker release an iPhone virus that didn’t do any damaged to your iPhone besides “Rick Rolling” your phone by add a picture of Rick Astley as your iPhone background.  Today someone has taken that relatively harmless code and modified it to steal you personal data.

Mac security vendor Intego calls the code “iPhone/Privacy.A.” It is a malicious tool hackers install on Windows, Mac, Unix or Linux systems, and even on iPhones, using those devices to scan for “jailbroken” iPhones, some of which are vulnerable to the malware.

If it finds a vulnerable iPhone within its range, the malware copies e-mail, contacts, SMS (Short Message Service) messages, calendar entries, photos, music, videos and any data recorded by an iPhone application, according to an advisory from Intego.

This only affects jailbroken phones running an SSH server with the default root password still set.  If you have a jailbroken phone and don’t know how to change the default root password, you can follow my easy step by step guide.

Secure Your iPhone, There’s A New Worm In Town

08 Nov 2009 at 22:42

Terry Moore

How To, iPhone, Mobile, Technical

No Comment

If you have jailbroken your iPhone or iTouch you may want to think about changing the devices default root password.  There is new worm going around that only affects jailbroken iPhones and iTouches that have SSH server installed and running.  The worm will search networks for the open iPhone SSH servers running and connect to them as root.  All iPhones/iTouches have the same root password, alpine, which makes this worm possible.  Once the worm connects it doesn’t do anything too harmful, just changes your background to a picture of Rick Astley, also disables the SSH server and then looks for other devices to infect.

Here is a step by step guide on how to change the default root password.

Step 1: Download the Terminal application from Cyndia.

Step 2: Once downloaded start the application and type the following commands.  Remember that the root password is ‘alpine’.

motersho-iPhone:~mobile$ su
Password:
motersho-iPhone:~root# passwd
New Password: [type in a new password]
Retype new password: [retype the password]
motersho-iPhone:~root#

That’s it.  You are now secure.  Plus I have a feeling this will help keep Apple out of your phone.

Keep this in mind, if you upgrade to the next iPhone firmware you may have to redo this.

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