A high level of security is what always distinguishes iPhone from Android-smartphones. Apple was able to achieve this thanks to several factors. First, the company voluntarily denied users access to iOS file system. Secondly, it was forbidden application download from somewhere other than the App Store to reduce the chance of getting infected with viruses. And, thirdly, Cupertino initially created hardware and software for their devices as a whole so that they would not conflict, as happens on Android. But it didn’t help.
As it suddenly turned out, the iPhone is still very far from the title of the most secure smartphone. Moreover, such a conclusion was made not by users or competitors of Apple, but by the court. The judge decided that the company does not pay enough attention to the security of its devices, obliging it to pay for its oversights and fix flaws that negatively affect the user experience. But first things first.
What do they do with stolen iPhones?
Some time ago, cases of iPhone theft with a very unusual purpose spread in Brazil. The thieves did not sell stolen smartphones on the secondary market and did not even take them apart for spare parts, as is usually the case. Not at all. Their goal was to hack the owner’s bank account and withdraw all available money from it. This scheme was actively spread during the pandemic, and, apparently, has not become outdated so far.
The very fact of the theft is not surprising. This happens almost everywhere. Another thing is that only in Brazil did the attackers find a way hack iPhone and access the victim’s bank account. After all, this is a rather non-trivial task. Not only do you need to pick up the lock password for the smartphone itself, but also somehow get into the banking application, which is usually protected by a different password.
One user, whose name was not disclosed, also fell victim to a similar scheme. Him iPhone stolen on the street, and then they took all the money from his account. But, in addition to contacting the bank with a demand to cancel the transactions, he also sued Apple, accusing it of insufficient iPhone 12 security. He explained that the thieves were able to unlink his smartphone from his iCloud account, turn off Find My iPhone and eventually gain access to his bank account.
After several months of litigation, the court came to the conclusion that everything was so, and Apple was really to blame if it could not provide proper protection against hacking for its devices. Therefore, she is obliged to pay the victim 5,000 reais in compensation (about 70 thousand rubles), as well as make the necessary changes to the iOS operating system so that it cannot be hacked so easily. Another question is whether Cupertino will be able to do this. After all, if the company’s developers could, they probably would have already done it.
How to Jailbreak an iPhone
Is it fair? Well, on the one hand, yes. After all, if the smartphone you make hacks like a child’s puzzle, then that’s your problem. But, on the other hand, the situation faced by Apple is much more complicated than it might seem at first glance. It’s obvious that jailbreak iPhone, and then a banking application on the knee is almost impossible. This means that the attackers used specialized software like that distributed by GrayShift and Cellebrite.
In Brazil, there are rumors that hacking the bank accounts of iPhone owners is a real business that literally thrives in the country. It is run by very advanced people who involve a large number of people in their schemes, including hackers, and possibly even representatives of the secret services. In the end, iPhone jailbreak tool you will not find in free sale. And, if someone managed to get it, then this is unlikely to have happened legally.
Whatever it was, Apple got into a rather unpleasant situation, which is gradually only getting worse. There is a complete feeling that the iPhone today is generally hacked by anyone who wants to. Either Brazilian businessmen, then intelligence services, or Israeli hackers who remotely distribute the Pegasus virus, which installs surveillance on users and steals data from their devices. It got to the point that Apple was even forced to start specifically identifying this virus on users’ smartphones and warning them about compromise.
Wide iPhone popularity has become the main reason why they are being hacked more and more often. Now it is not necessary to be a deputy, an official or a big businessman to face this. You can hack the smartphone of any person, regardless of his status. After all, as hacking tools spread, each operation starts to cost less. And if it pays off at least a little, then why not put the matter on stream?
