UPDATED: Sep 8, 2023 09:26 IST
Apple recently released some important updates for iPhones to keep them safe from sneaky hackers. These hackers were trying to break into the phone of a person who works for a group in Washington, D.C., that watches over the internet and government activities.
These updates fixed two security problems that Apple didn’t know about before. We call these problems “zero-day exploits” because Apple had zero days to prepare for them. It’s like a surprise test for your phone’s security.
One of the tricky things the hackers used was a “zero-click vulnerability.” This means they didn’t need the person to tap or click on anything – the attack happened automatically. Imagine your phone getting hacked without you doing anything!
The hackers were trying to put a spying tool called “Pegasus” on the victim’s iPhone. With Pegasus, they can secretly watch what the person is doing on their phone. It’s like having a hidden camera on your phone.
Luckily, a group called Citizen Lab, which keeps an eye on bad stuff happening on the internet, discovered these problems. They found that the hackers could even get into iPhones with the latest software without the person even knowing.
Citizen Lab told Apple about these issues, and Apple quickly made a special update to fix them. They also thanked Citizen Lab for their help. It’s like fixing a hole in your roof before it rains.
Interestingly, Apple might have found the second problem while looking into the first one. It’s like fixing one broken toy and discovering another that needed repair too.
When people asked Apple about this, their spokesperson didn’t say much. They just pointed to the information in the update.
Citizen Lab gave a cool name to this attack method – “BLASTPASS.” It had something to do with a tool called “PassKit” that developers use to add Apple Pay to their apps.
The good news is that these discoveries show how important it is to keep an eye out for sneaky hackers. Citizen Lab called it the “early warning system” for billions of devices around the world.
So, if you have an iPhone, it’s a good idea to update it with the new software to stay safe from these problems. Think of it as locking your door to keep out burglars.The company behind the spying tool, NSO Group, didn’t say anything in response to these findings. It’s like they’re staying silent in the corner.
