iPhone vulnerable to phishing attacks
Security researcher Aviv Raff said on Wednesday that the iPhone's Mail and Safari applications are prone to URL spoofing and could allow phishing attacks against iPhone users.
The alert was anticipated. Prior to the release of the iPhone on July 11, Raff was one of a few security researchers who indicated they had found vulnerabilities but were waiting to see the final iPhone 2.0 release.
By crafting a specially designed URL, Raff says an attacker could create an e-mail link that appears in Mail to be from a trusted site (a financial institution or social network). By clicking the link, Safari will open to the phishing site. The issue affects users of iPhone 1.1.4 and 2.0.
Raff, who has informed Apple of the vulnerability, declined on his blog to offer more details until a patch is available.
Until then, Raff suggests iPhone users "avoid clicking on links in the Mail application which refers to trusted Web sites (e.g. bank, PayPal, social networks, etc.). Instead, a user should enter the URL of the Web site manually in the Safari application."
This is SO dumb of cnet to host this stupid article.
Any computer or wireless device with email and internet capabilties are vulnerable to this type of phishing attack.
Why put iPhone on the spot light as if it's the only one to have this type of vulnerablity?
Journalism at its worst. Shame on you Cnet
Well done Aviv. You got some attention! Now - your alerts will fit into the "Boy who cried - Wolf!" category.
Phishing is an attack that uses human stupidity, it is a form of social engineering.
There are no tools to stop stupidity.
Every single browser and email client on the planet is susceptible because people are ignorant,
Yet another CNET writer that doesn't understand tech.
And other emails banks send? Warnings to customers that there are phishers out there and to be careful.