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Security experts have discovered a new virus that they have called AceDeceiver and that can affect all iPhones without jailbreak . The big difference with respect to other malware is that this system can be installed without any certificate, since it does so by taking advantage of weaknesses in the security of the iOS operating system. And once that virus is inside the device, it becomes the gateway for many other malicious applications without the user noticing.
Although the AceDeceiver application has already been removed from the App Store, there is still a risk that it will continue to affect other devices, as it exploits weaknesses in FairPlay, Apple's protection system. Although these are characteristics that have allowed the installation of “pirated” applications on iPhone since 2013 (with or without jailbreak ), this is the first time that the mechanism has been used to spread a virus of these characteristics.
The danger of viruses that are installed "by surprise"
IOS device users can purchase and download applications for their terminals from the computer's App Store, and then transfer and install them on the iPhone or iPad. In these operations, the iOS operating system always asks for a purchase code to prove that the application has actually been purchased.
However, in the FairPlay attack, hackers can buy an application from the App Store, intercept the verification code, and trick customers into using computer software that is almost identical to the App Store, thereby tricking iOS into that the operating system believes that the application has been purchased. Therefore, the owner of the iPhone can install viruses and other malicious applications that they never bought, and at the same time the creators of the software can install viruses on the device without the owner noticing.
All of this can happen on any iOS device, whether or not it is jailbroken . One of the reasons why the Apple company has been against the jailbreak is precisely the question of security, since the obligation to use the official App Store allows you to exercise some control over the content. However, AceDeceiver demonstrates that theoretically safe routes can also have weak points that hackers can use to introduce viruses, even if the iPhone is not jailbroken. . Users from all over the world have been installing, without knowing it, malicious apps from the App Store "" from July 2015 to February 2016, three applications from the AceDeiver family were available that claimed to be wallpaper apps "", until Apple removed them.
Although it appears that the majority of affected devices are in China, the discovery of this virus reveals a security breach that could be exploited by other attackers to bypass Apple's protection mechanisms and infect malicious content on iOS devices around the world.
As a precaution, always remember to only install applications from known and trusted developers. It may also be advisable to use an antivirus application to help you periodically scan your phone for security gaps.
