iPhone Security Flaw Discovered; Ad Banned

Permalink: iPhone Security Flaw Discovered; Ad Banned
by Franz Bicar

The new iPhone 3G has been under attack ever since it was released last June. Problems with its 3G signal, firmware updates unable to fix major bugs (some users found the fixes too minor to be of any difference) and different App Store issues became fodder for blog sites and tech sites all around.

Now, it seems like Apple is on the defensive again as Gizmodo discovered a security flaw in the iPhone OS. What it does? Allow others access to a locked iPhone’s address book, Mail, SMS, Contacts, and Safari. Of course, as long as you have your phone with you, nobody can get it. However once someone gets a hold of it - even if its locked - it will all be fair game.

All the culprit has to do is slide to unlock, tap emergency call, double tap the home button and voila! This give you access to the iPhone’s favorites, the Address Book, the dial keypad and your voice mail. Tapping on the blue arrows next to the names gives you full access to the information in a favorite. Tapping an email address gives you access to the Mail application. Tapping a URL in a contact provides full access to Safari. Tapping send text message gives access to all your SMS’.

But this is the easy part. The difficult front that Apple has to battle against is the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that banned an ad for the iPhone. The ASA had a problem with an iPhone ad that promised users access to “all parts of the Internet” on their Apple device. ASA claimed that the commercial was misleading as the device doesn’t even offer Flash or Java, therefore, not all websites can be seen in their entirety. As a result, Apple can no longer broadcast the advert in its current form.

Apple then countered that the “all parts of the internet” claim was in reference to the iPhone’s ability to offer ‘full’ Internet access–rather than displaying WAP pages, or walled garden operator content.

Seems like Apple has some major problems to take care of. Of course, we will expect them to take care of this sooner rather than later.

Sources:
Gizmodo
CNet
ZDnet