Apple, discovered security bugs of iMessage: coming up with the fix iOS 9.3

Apple has worked hard to make iOS a secure and reliable operating system, most recently for example by introducing an encryption of all data within the operating system. It is a difficult security to get around, how he got to learn the FBI recently, but this does not mean that iOS does not have vulnerabilities. The last one was discovered by John Hopkins University, and allows you to intercept and decrypt video and pictures sent with iMessage.

The exploit shown by the University is harmless on devices based on iOS 9 or later given that Apple has partially settled the flaw that allowed the exploit, however, Professor Matthew D. Green told the Washington Post that an attacker can modify ' exploits to make it effective even on devices that use the latest version of the OS. The hack can be performed easily with a software developed by the team that makes it possible to masquerade as Apple's servers.

Photos and videos sent over iMessage are protected by a 64-bit encryption algorithm, but the service does not block an external user trying to decipher the key with multiple access attempts. This allowed the research team to carry out a very simple attack "brute force" file to discover the key. The researchers gave the FBI the answer they were looking for in the case of the performer of the San Bernardino carnage with such a simple system? Of course not.

The FBI does not want to simply break into a specific part of the application of Apple's messaging, but wants to have access to the entire terminal of who carried out the massacre. In earlier cases, however, Apple had refused to cooperate with the Justice declaring that unlock access to iMessage would be an expensive and dangerous for the company's customers security, forcing prosecutors to withdraw the request.

Green told the Washington Post that the authorities in charge of the case, with targeted searches, they could find the same flaw discovered by the University to be able to get those data. Apple has acknowledged the existence of the problem and has taken steps to resolve it totally on iOS 9.3, the update not yet available to the public that should occupy a part of the event organized for tonight.

"We appreciate the work done by the team of researchers has identified this bug and brought it to our attention," the company said in a statement. "Safety requires constant dedication and researchers who help us stay one step ahead." We do not know if the company will release iOS 9.3 tonight, but if so, we can only recommend their installation for all users who have a compatible device.