Do you consider non-jailbroken iPhones to be safe? Think again! AceDeceiver is playing havoc with Apple’s most celebrated devices. This malware has started a tug of war between Apple’s acclaimed DRM security technology and MITM.
Claud Xiao works as a researcher for Palo Alto Networks and he is the first person to detect the malicious activities of AceDeceiver. What this malware actually does is that it deceives Apple’s DRM and enables the cyber thugs to download malicious applications on iOS devices. What is most significant is that AceDeceiver humiliates Apple’s technology by using MITM. It certainly raises questions about Apple’s security mechanism.
New iOS malware infects non-jailbroken iPhones bypassing Apple’s security mechanisms | Image Source: Palo Alto Networks
Claud Xiao observed a strange ability in AceDeceiver. He claims that this malware application does not use the conventional method of using fake registrations tools to get registered on iOS devices. Surprisingly, AceDeceiver somehow manages to get itself installed without any registration or authentication. How AceDeceiver does this trick? The answer has been discovered by examining the security loopholes in DRM. Apple has taken a good step by removing AceDeceiver from App Store but perhaps it is too late because cyber thugs are perhaps going for something new to surprise Apple with another challenge.
Have you ever seen AceDeceiver on App Stores? Certainly not! The reason is that AceDeceiver was actually stapled with a fake application called Aisi Helper. The real Aisi Helper is a credible application introduced for the Windows operating system and it is used as a tool for system optimization, jailbreaking and system backup and restore.
FairPlay may be a new term for most of you and in the world of information technology and programming, FairPlay is basically the name of a technique which is commonly known as Man In The Middle. This technology has already made its mark in a negative sense as it entertains pirated applications and malware of iOS applications. Claud Xiao believes that MITM was originally used to spread malware applications across different devices.
The risk of MITM is alarming because this technique simply offers a happy hunting ground for cyber thugs. This method is capable of installing malicious files in non-jailbroken iPhones. Certainly a huge setback for Apple’s security claims.
According to the reports from Forbes, AceDeceiver has inflicted thousands of iPhone users in Asia, specifically China. Claud Xiao alarms that MITM is such a strong technique that iPhone users across the whole world could suffer from different issues in the future. We can only hope that Apple’s authorities will consider this issue more seriously to get things right and save the company’s pride and credibility.
