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Apple issues emergency patch to counter spyware with remote access capability

Why did Apple issue an emergency security update? Maybe because someone discovered spyware that can remotely jailbreak iOS 9.

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Apple says it’s issuing a security update for iOS, after a potent brand of spyware was discovered targeting an activist’s iPhone in the Middle East.

Digital forensics experts say the spyware exploits three previously unknown weaknesses in the platform to gain full control of an iPhone, and then spy on the user.

Reports published earlier today by research firm Lookout Security and internet watchdog Citizen Lab describe how the spyware works. The activist received multiple text messages on his iPhone promising information of a human rights violation if he clicked a link provided. Instead of clicking, he forwarded the messages to Citizen Lab researchers, who then recognised the modus operandi of NSO Group. NSO Group is a cyber warfare company based in Israel that exclusively sells spyware to governments.

Analysis of the breach attempt revealed that the spyware would have triggered a series of zero-day exploits (now named Trident) to completely jailbreak the stock iPhone 6 and install other software. From that point on, the spyware would then spy on the activist using his camera and microphone, as well as record his WhatsApp and Viber calls, log messages sent in chat apps, and even track his movements.

Once Lookout and Citizen Lab discovered the exploits, they contacted Apple, resulting in a swift security patch update iOS 9.3.5. The update blocks the Trident chain, and is available immediately to all devices running iOS 9 via an over-the-air patch.

Want to know the truly scary part? The activist has been the target of  spyware breach attempts before. Coupled with the fact that NSO Group sells only to governments, Citizen Labs believes the UAE government is behind the attempt. They also say that the exploit chain used was similar to one acquired by zero-day exploit collector Zerodium last year.

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