Apple Fixes Potential Charging Station Security Flaw in iOS 7

According to Reuters, Apple has fixed a security flaw in iOS 7 which previously would allow hackers to control an iPhone via a custom-built charging station. The security exploit was delivered to Apple earlier this year by ‘white hat’ hackers who demonstrated the exploit today at the Black Hat hacking convention in Las Vegas.

Apple said the issue had been fixed in the latest beta of iOS 7, which has already been released to software developers.

“We would like to thank the researchers for their valuable input,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said.

The work was done by Billy Lau, a research scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and graduate students Yeongjin Jang and Chengyu Song.

The cheaply-made $45 custom built charger running Linux was demonstrated to take over an iPhone and allowed the hackers to control and spy on the user. iOS 7 has additional security features which will prompt users whether or not to ‘trust’ computers when plugged in via USB to charge.

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