Apple has used its latest update, iOS 7.0.6, to eradicate a security issue that had not been made known to the public prior to its resolution.
The security problem had made iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches vulnerable to having their networks hacked by unwelcome operators, through the use of the unsecure public wireless network.
It has been revealed that third party users can intercept sensitive data because of a flaw in the devices’ iOS secure socket layer and transport socket layer authentication.
A statement released by Apple states that the company has corrected the problem by “restoring missing validation steps” but will not explain the full extent of the security breach until a full investigation into the matter had been completed.
The statement also clarified that:
“An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TSL.”
It goes on to explain that:
“Secure Transport failed to validate the authenticity of the connection.”
Experts have stated that the malfunction may not only affect mobile devices, but could also involve Mac OS X devices. Dmitri Alperovitch, Chief Technology Officer of security firm CrowdStrike, insists that Apple users should install this update to their devices immediately, before they next connect to any public wireless networks, and advises that users disconnect if they are already using public networks. This is because hackers using this loophole can easily gain access to passwords, news feeds and other sensitive information users enter during sessions.
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