IPhone users might want to be more careful before replying to messages from unknown numbers. A recently discovered flaw in iOS should be considered a warning signal to iPhone owners.
Hacker, security researcher and jailbreak developer pod2g recently discovered that every version of iOS is vulnerable to an SMS hack. This oversight allows unscrupulous individuals to spoof an SMS that would show a different sender address through the User Data Header or UDH. The UDH has an advanced option where one can set an originating number so that when a spoofed SMS is sent to an iPhone, it will show the set reply number instead of the real number that the message was sent from.
While some people might think this is an insignificant bug in iOS, it can cause some security issues. Hackers can use this to pretend they’re from the receiver’s bank and get vital private information. It can also be used for phishing, stealing passwords, planting false evidence or manipulating people into trusting a dubious organization.
Apple hasn’t made any comment on what upgrades or security measures they’ll create to protect users. In the meantime, iPhone owners can protect themselves by being wary of any SMS they received and by knowing the signs of a potential SMS scam. Not replying to a suspicious message, using a phone’s Text Alias feature and blocking texts from the Internet are other ways that an iPhone owner can do to ensure their safety.
