There are billions of mobile apps out there, tempting treats for those wedded to their smart phones and tablets. However, a new Apple iOS vulnerability alert from a security vendor is a reminder that for best security software for any platform should only be downloaded from an authorized store or internal corporate site.
iOS vulnerability can replace legit apps
“This vulnerability exists because iOS doesn’t enforce matching certificates for apps with the same bundle identifier,” FireEye researchers said in a blog. “We verified this vulnerability on iOS 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, 8.1 and 8.1.1 beta, for both jailbroken and non-jailbroken devices. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability both through wireless networks and USB.”
FireEye said iOS users can protect themselves from Masque Attacks by following three steps:
- Don’t install apps from third-party sources other than Apple’s official App Store or the user’s own organization
- Don’t click “Install” on a pop-up from a third-party web page, no matter what the pop-up says about the app. The pop-up can show attractive app titles crafted by the attacker
- When opening an app, if iOS shows an alert with “Untrusted App Developer”, as shown in Figure 3, click on “Don’t Trust” and uninstall the app immediately.
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