Security Vendors Warn of New iPhone Worm

iPhone users be on the lookout: according to the San Francisco Chronicle a new worm is exploiting “jailbroken” devices (that is, iPhones that have been configured to run unofficial code, and thus, applications available outside Apple’s App Store).

“This one is serious,” says Cnet.com. How serious? According to Sophos, a security vendor quoted in the Cnet.com article, the worm uses a “command-and-control” structure like a traditional PC botnet. Two startup scripts are configured: The first executes the worm on boot-up; the second creates a connection to a Lithuanian server and begins uploading stolen data.

As many media outlets covering the story point out, this isn’t the first time “jailbroken” iPhones have been exploited. The first time was kind of…well, funny, if you’re the type that finds humor in a well-designed “Rickroll.” (The first iPhone worm installed malware that replace iPhone’s traditional home screen with wallpaper depicting ‘80s pop star Rick Astley—click here if the reasons for such a hack are not immediately apparent.)

The second instance of iPhone malware “harvested personal data from iPhones, including user e-mail, contacts, SMS messages, calendars and multimedia files,” the Chronicle reports.

This one has the potential to cause major headaches. Apparently, the worm even changes device passwords. So far, the worm has attacked users on ISPs in the Netherlands, Australia and several other countries. How do you know if you’ve been hit? “Users with affected devices might notice extremely short battery life while on Wi-Fi,” Cnet.com writes.