Technology can be a wonderful thing. But it can also be used for nefarious purposes. In a tweet, a security and infosec expert showcased the power of a small iPhone hacking device that can spam devices with various pop-up notifications.
Technology. Entertainment. Science. your inbox.
Sign up to receive the hottest tech and entertainment news.
By registering, I agree to the terms of use and have read the privacy policy.
First, the device is called Flipper Zero. It essentially works by spoofing devices like Apple’s AirTags, AirPods Pro, and even new contacts. This effectively launches a DDoS notification attack on every iOS device in the area, rendering it inoperable.
This particular iPhone hacking device was apparently used as part of an ongoing “prank” against iPhone users, and Techryptic, the infosec expert behind the new alerts, has urged Apple to consider introducing mitigation safeguards.
“What is the purpose of this publication?” Techryptic’s tweet begins: “It has the ability to effectively launch a DDOS notification attack on any iOS device, rendering it inoperable.” Even when the device is in airplane mode, it’s still vulnerable. Apple should consider implementing security measures to mitigate damage.”
Techryptic has also posted several videos of the device in action on Twitter, and it’s clear how easy it is to abuse something like this. And since these notifications are sent even when the device is in airplane mode, there doesn’t seem to be a way to stop them until you move away from the iPhone hacking device or the person with the device stops it.
Obviously, it is very easy to understand why something like this can be considered disgraceful. While it doesn’t necessarily steal your data, it leads to other problems – most notably affecting your ability to use the product. Given the legal ramifications of launching a DDoS attack, this is no reason to fiddle with it.
We hope Apple addresses this issue in the future. A new security measure to prevent this would be ideal for a future OS update, such as iOS 17.
Source : bgr.com