Security experts claim that all iPhones which are not updated to the 10.3.3 version of iOS can be taken over by cyber criminals at will.
If an iPhone is not updated and kept in a WiFi network range, hackers can easily break in and lock all user’s data.
The experts warned that the only thing attackers need for taking over an iPhone is to be near a corrupted WiFi network. In this case, it’s not even necessary to connect the phone to the network to be taken by cyber criminals.
The good news here is that thanks to the latest update for iOS, the exploit issue can be solved immediately.
iOS 10.3.3 is the most recent version of the software which patches up the problem so that attackers cannot break into iPhones. However, if users don’t keep their iOS devices updated, their phones will remain vulnerable.
According to the release notes on Apple’s official website, the exploit could affect iPhone 5 or later versions, which means everything since the 4th generation of iPad and the newest iPod Touch. The company also state that “attacker within range may be able to execute arbitrary code on the Wi-Fi chip”.
According to Apple, bug fixes are included in the iOS 10.3.3 update, however, it’s not certain if the update concerns any other issues. No new user-facing features have been included in iOS 10.3.3.
At this point, there is no information on how the exploit works, excluding the fact that it takes over the Broadcom chip which powers the WiFi in the iPhone. More details on the exploit will be given at a security conference later this month by its founder – the security expert Nitay Artenstein.
According to security researchers, the Broadcom chip is used in other Android mobile devices. In the latest version of the operating system Google has already fixed it, however, the updates for specific models may not have arrived yet.
