Security flaw exploited in jailbroken iPhones
Hacker holds devices hostage, demands ransom
No doubt Apple is quite delighted by the news that a series of jailbroken iPhones in the Netherlands have been remotely hacked due to a security flaw uncoverd by a wily programmer, who charges €5 to return control of the user's device to them.
According to ArsTechnica, the simple intrusion was accomplished after the majority of jailbroken iPhone users failed to change their root password, allowing the hacker access to their files, to send text messages from the phone remotely, make calls (and record the user's calls), and display an obtrusive ransom message until a €5 PayPal payment was made.
Fortunately, this hacker was evidently only interested in the quick cash, and apparently didn't cause any lasting harm to the iPhone he invaded across the Netherlands. His website has since been banned, and evidently he's had a change of heart, posting instructions on how to remove his software from the device and details on how to secure a jailbroken iPhone.
Whether this is the only security flaw in an unlocked system, we really can;t say. Scary stuff, though.
