After the announcement of a potential vulnerability in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iOS earlier this week, the U.S. government has warned iPhone and iPad users to be alert against online intruders that may try to exploit the weakness. FireEye Inc (NASDAQ:FEYE) reported this vulnerability earlier this week and informed Apple about the same.
The potential iOS weakness has attracted government authorities and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Teams along with the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center released an online bulletin informing users about the so called “Masque Attack”. The mobile and network security solutions company, FireEye Inc (NASDAQ:FEYE), earlier released a blog post discussing the attack with a potential of more attacks to follow.
The bulletin released by the national authorities asked users to download and install apps from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s store only while avoiding any third-party installations. Further, any installation with iOS warning “Untrusted App Developer” is considered to be a red flag, as mentioned by the bulletin. There was no official response from the iPhone maker.
Earlier this month, Palo Alto Networks Inc (NYSE:PANW) identified some iOS apps with potential malware infection called “WireLurker.” This malware was targeted towards Mac users and it could spread into other ecosystem devices including iPhone and iPad when connected with the infected Mac computer. The malware was designed for Chinese users, although Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced neutralization of WireLurker following its identification.
Both of these malware had the ability to access sensitive user information including email logins, bank details stored in the phone, and equally important information. This is the first time when hackers from around the world are targeting Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). The iPad maker has warned its users to avoid downloading third party apps and use the Apple store for all their requirements.
Earlier, Apple Inc. touched all-time high yesterday and its shares closed at $113.05 in the extended trading session.
This article has been written by Prakash Pandey.
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