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With Black Hat approaching, Apple in a rush to patch?

Daniel Fleshbourne   on 27 July 2007 - 10:25 · 14 comments & 5690 views

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With security researchers set to reveal details of a critical security flaw in the iPhone at the Black Hat 2007 conference next week, Apple Inc. now has fewer than seven days to patch a critical vulnerability in the product. The iPhone hack is one of several disclosures planned that could lead to fireworks as more than 3,000 hackers and security professionals converge at Caesars Palace Las Vegas for the annual confab. The iPhone hack, which was first reported Monday by Independent Security Evaluators, showed how hackers could retrieve data from a victim's iPhone, by tricking them into visiting a malicious Web site.

If Apple were to patch the iPhone, it would be the company's first ever software update for the product, which began shipping in late June. Apple representatives couldn't say whether or not a patch should be delivered by the time researchers from Independent Security Evaluators disclose their findings next Thursday, but according to Black Hat Director Jeff Moss, the iPhone maker has had "plenty of time" to patch its product. "It would be nice if they patched it," he said. Patching the iPhone flaw would also show that Apple had made the right decision in reserving the right to patch the phone itself instead of handing over control of the iPhone software to the mobile carrier companies, as is common practice with mobile phones.

View: The full story
News source: ComputerWorld

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#1 +tunafish on 27 Jul 2007 - 10:42
I can see it now insert MS fan boy comment followed by apple fan boy counter attack.......

I think it's a shambles that they are leaving customers out in the dark etc and not patching it quicker.
(3 replies) #2 XerXis on 27 Jul 2007 - 10:49
hmmm, it will be difficult to patch the iphone, the entire software design is flawed. Several security experts have already reported that the iPhone OSX user runs as root. BIG MISTAKE!

Last edited by XerXis on 27 Jul 2007 - 10:56
#2.1 +tunafish on 27 Jul 2007 - 10:53
Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Running as root is a big no no!
I really think apple should in their stores use the wireless to push out the updates to iphones etc.
#2.2 vetneufuse on 27 Jul 2007 - 12:43
I thought the phone ran under an unprivladged account called "phone" while it still had a root account active... and very easily accessed password that was the same on all phones for root...
(4 replies) #3 buletov on 27 Jul 2007 - 11:06
Well, I guess they will patch their "Internet Communications Device" shortly...
#3.1 hotdog963al on 27 Jul 2007 - 13:05
You are forgetting it is also an iPod... AND- a mobile phone!
#3.2 buletov on 27 Jul 2007 - 13:12
Yes, but those two devices are just fine!
#3.3 PureLegend on 29 Jul 2007 - 17:12
Haha, reminds me of the article Maddox made on the iPhone :p
#3.4 advancedboy on 30 Jul 2007 - 01:34
Quote - (PureLegend said @ #3.3)
Haha, reminds me of the article Maddox made on the iPhone :p


yarr: http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone
#4 ir0nw0lf on 27 Jul 2007 - 13:55
Quote -
"It would be nice if they patched it,"

Thanks Captain Obvious for that statement ROFL... It would also be nice if we had world peace, no famine, perfect products with no flaws, etc... Give them time.
#5 ziggie216 on 27 Jul 2007 - 14:51
Quote -
Patching the iPhone flaw would also show that Apple had made the right decision in reserving the right to patch the phone itself instead of handing over control of the iPhone software to the mobile carrier companies, as is common practice with mobile phones.


If VZW actually had the phone, it will never get patch until the the moon turns blue.
#6 Croquant on 27 Jul 2007 - 18:11
:Bashes Apple:

:Walks Away:

#7 Magallanes on 29 Jul 2007 - 19:44
iHacker.

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