Security researcher Charlie Miller revealed earlier today that he had found an exploit in Apple's iOS software that allows an App to run arbitrary code. Apple generally approves all code that is submitted to the AppStore and forbids the execution of un-approved code, but Miller discovered a way to bypass this restriction. Forbes writes:
Miller became suspicious of a possible flaw in the code signing of Apple’s mobile devices with the release of iOS 4.3 early last year. ... The researcher soon dug up a bug that allowed him to expand that code-running exception to any application he’d like.
Beyond discovering the bug, Miller went a step further and actually had an App submitted to the App Store which took advantage of this bug. The App was approved and was able to perform as expected:
Using his method–and Miller has already planted a sleeper app in Apple’s App Store to demonstrate the trick–an app can phone home to a remote computer that downloads new unapproved commands onto the device and executes them at will, including stealing the user’s photos, reading contacts, making the phone vibrate or play sounds, or otherwise repurposing normal iOS app functions for malicious ends.
Shortly after the news broke, Apple revoked Miller's developer account, citing a breach of the developer agreement.
“This letter serves as notice of termination of the iOS Developer Program License Agreement…between you and Apple,” the email read. “Effective immediately.”
Miller plans to present his findings at the SysCan conference in Taiwan next week.
Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
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Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
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Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag.
Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
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The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year.
Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
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Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro.
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Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup.
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Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie.
The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...
Meanwhile Google is handing out bounties for stuff like this. Because why would you want to get (almost) free help from industry-leading professionals? Submitting it to the App Store probably wasn't the way to go, though.
It's one thing to find a security hole and professionally inform Apple, quite another to write an app to exploit it and announce you will tell the works how to do it in a conference in a week...
Charlie is a smart guy who makes some really stupid decisions.
Professional developers disclose issues in iOS to Apple through secure channels all the time without this media madness.
Security researcher Charlie Miller revealed earlier today that he had found an exploit in Apple's iOS software that allows an App to run arbitrary code. Apple generally approves all code that is submitted to the AppStore and forbids the execution of un-approved code, but Miller discovered a way to bypass this restriction. Forbes writes:
