iPhone Web Dialer Might Be Risky
by Tyler Knott Gregson | July 18th, 2007Man, right when you think a technology is cool, something happens and before you can even blink twice, it’s exploited and some bad person somewhere has figured out a way to turn it against you. We’ve talked about it before with the BlueSpamming, BlueSnarfing and the likes, and now, I just found out that the altogether hip, altogether now Apple iPhone isn’t immune to stuff just like this.
I just read an article that packs a pretty serious security warning for all you Apple fans out there drooling over your touchscreens…Apparently, a feature that allows you to simply tap a phone number on a displayed web site, called a Web Dialer, is totally open to some pretty scary stuff. The article mentions that, “hackers can exploit this feature by redirecting calls to expensive 900 numbers or mount personal attacks by spying on the numbers dialed.” Yikes. So while you think you’re dialing the number of a pizza joint, what’s really going down is you’re dialing some crazy Escort Service in Budapest and being charged for it. Not only that, they can learn who you call, when you call them, and knowing the lengths these morons go to, a whole lot more information you’d never want out. Not fun.
Here, for your viewing pleasure, are a few more fun things they could do to you (not to make you even sicker about this)
- “redirecting phone calls placed by the user to different phone numbers of the attacker’s choosing;
- tracking phone calls placed by the user;
- manipulating the phone to place a call without the user accepting the confirmation dialog;
- placing the phone into an infinite loop of attempting calls — the only escape is to turn off the phone; and
- preventing the phone from dialing.”
Wow. Head over, bone up on your anti-escort service-protection, and take appropriate steps to disable this service for now. Trust me, your phone bill and your spouse will thank you.
Tags:900 numbers, apple iphone, bluesnarfing, escort service, personal attacks, service protection, touchscreens web dialer Sphere: Related ContentRelated Posts:
