Kaspersky, well-respected cybersecurity and anti-virus experts, have unearthed a new cyberattack threat that targets older iPhone models with dated iOS versions through the iMessage app. While monitoring their own Wi-Fi network, they stumbled upon malware that infected the device through a damaging iMessage attachment; nasty stuff.
What’s worse – and this is the kicker – the heinous threat doesn’t require user action; it’s all too happy to exploit a vulnerability in iOS to install some nasty spyware that’ll take over your phone. This, according to their own report, will give complete control of all things photographic, private, and more, to the malicious assailant.
The CEO of the company, Eugene Kaspersky, even tweeted about this iOS-disabling nightmare, disclosing how the spyware extracts private information such as location, instant messenger photos, microphone recordings, and other invasive data to send to remote servers. When asked what they were calling this travesty, the company dubbed it “Operation Triangulation.”
Kaspersky’s CEO, Mr. Eugene Kaspersky, reported that iPhones of dozens of employees had been hacked by malware that could target other iPhones too. While the severity of the attack kept everyone on edge, Mr. Kaspersky swiftly ensured us that the threat had been neutralized, and Apple was informed of the loophole details. And hey, in case you were wondering, disabling the iMessage service saves you from this menace, so thank him later!
According to Kaspersky’s report, as soon as the malware is installed on a device, the accompanying exploit in the iMessage attachment and initial text are deleted, which is quite sneaky if you ask us. The scary part is that the attack is still ongoing, and only devices operating on iOS 15.7 seem to be at risk. It’s a relief to know that iOS 16 devices are safe; however, in a comment section of Kaspersky’s report, he refused to guarantee the safety of other iOS versions.
In light of recent events, Kaspersky has released tools for users to check if their iPhone has been hit or not, so make sure you give it a shot!