Google finds evidence of an attempt at mass piracy on iPhone

Earlier this year, Google's cyber security experts "discovered a small collection of hacked websites" that exploited the vulnerabilities of Apples (AAPL) The smartphone software, Ian Beer, Google's zero project researcher, said in an article published Thursday on his blog. He did not name the websites.

According to Project Zero researchers, the implant was able to give hackers access to contacts, photos and the location of iPhone users, as well as to the data. applications such as iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail and Google Hangouts.

the Google (GOOGL) The researchers discovered "a total of fourteen vulnerabilities", half of which related to the iPhone's web browser. On Feb. 1, they informed Apple of vulnerabilities, prompting him to release a software update six days later when he admitted that some apps could potentially "get elevated privileges" and "execute code." arbitrary".

Beer described the hacking attempt as a campaign to exploit "iPhones en masse". He also stated that it was "a case of failure for the attacker" and that the mail was not clear whether any data had been stolen. .

Neither company immediately responded to a request for comment on Friday.

The vulnerabilities covered almost all versions of the iPhone's operating system since iOS 10 until the latest version of iOS 12, "added Beer.

"This indicated a group making sustained efforts to hack iPhone users in some communities for a period of at least two years," he wrote.

Beer said that it also warned that there could be other potential attacks.

"For this campaign we have seen, there are almost certainly others," he said. "All that users can do is be aware that mass exploitation still exists and behave accordingly; treat their mobile devices as an integral part of their modern lives, but also as devices that, once compromised, can upload each of their actions into a database for: potentially being used against them ".