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Modified charger can hack iPhone: researchers

By Yoon Min-sik

A group of security researchers in the United States claimed that a modified charger can instantly hack into an iPhone or iPad, raising questions over the perception that Apple’s devices are better protected.

Jang Yeong-jin, Billy Lau and Chengyu Song from Georgia Institute of Technology said they have found a way to break into Apple’s current-generation devices, running on the latest operating systems, through a malicious charger.

The charger, once connected to an Apple device, is designed to install malware and the result is “alarming,” the researchers said. Major tech media in the U.S. widely reported the team’s discovery, pointing out the security concerns over public charging stations.

The team used a manipulated charger named “Mactans” to try to bypass Apple’s security barriers, and plans to debut the charger at Black Hat, a major security conference, in July.

“Despite the plethora of defense mechanisms in iOS, we successfully injected arbitrary software into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating system software,” the researchers wrote on the study’s preview.

The researchers said their method can be applied to all Apple device users, as it requires neither special solutions nor user interaction.

Jang, a South Korean researcher, and his colleagues, used a simple computer to test the exploit.

“This hardware was selected to demonstrate the ease with which innocent-looking, malicious USB chargers can be constructed,” they said.

The alleged security loophole sent a shock through the smartphone industry as Apple has long been proud of its “walled garden” mobile operating that effectively prevents the installation of unapproved software.

Apple has yet to comment on the researchers’ claims. Forbes, the U.S. magazine that first reported the team’s discovery, said Apple might be already working to come up with a patch to fix the issue.

(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)