iPhone security flaw: Hackers could hijack your smartphone for just £75
SHOCKINGLY low cost of hacking into Apple iPhone devices revealed by senior security researchers.
Could your iPhone be at risk from this new hack?
iPhone users have been warned about the security of their devices after a budget-priced hack able to shut down their phone was revealed.
Cyber-criminals could be able to gain access to an iPhone with tools costing just $100 (£75).
The hack would allow criminals to hijack iPhone 5C devices, but other versions of the phone could also be at risk.
The cut-price hack could affect millions of Apple iPhone devices
A researcher from the University of Cambridge has now shown that it could in fact cost a fraction of this hack a device, as senior research associate Sergei Skorobogatov has now shown that iPhones can be hacked using a technique called NAND mirroring.
This involves removing and copying off the memory chip found within an iPhone to allow for repeated attempts at guessing the device's passcode.
Skorobogatov has built a working prototype that is able to bombard an updated iPhone 5C in order to reveal a password in around 24 hours.
He noted, "The process does not require any expensive and sophisticated equipment. All needed parts are low cost and were obtained from local electronics distributors.
Skorobogatov also claimed that the attacks could be used against iPhone 6 devices.
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The study follows the controversial case where the FBI paid a security firm $1 million to gain access to the iPhone 5C of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook.
This amount was described as 'worth it' by FBI director James Comey, but not before the agency has engaged in a major war of words with Apple.
To this date, both the security firm hired by the FBI and the technique they used are both unknown, even to Apple.
The news comes shortly after Apple announced it would be rewarding hackers who are able to identify security flaws in its products.
The iPhone maker has announced the launch of a ‘bug bounty’ program that will reward anyone who is able to find and alert it to holes in its security.
Researchers and hackers could earn as much as $200,000 for finding serious bugs.
Apple devices have previously been well-regarded for their security protection
Despite its secure reputation, Apple devices and users have been hit by several damaging scams in the past.
Earlier this year, a number of British iPhone users complained of being bombarded with texts claiming to be from iTunes warning them that their account was now frozen.
However the messages were actually from hackers spoofing the company’s official correspondence,
Victims were then told that to validate their iTunes account and avoid suspension, they had to click on a link which transported them to a page where they entered personal information.
Back in March, hackers also launched a ransomware campaign targeting Mac users who downloaded software from an unauthorised source, and were then forced to pay a ransom of one bitcoin ($400).