Recently, it was reported that a major security threat in the form of an SMS could infect the iPhone, thanks to SMS vulnerability in the iPhone. Now, AppleInsider reports that Apple has issued an update to its iPhone OS to fix this SMS vulnerability.
Users can download this Firmware 3.0.1 for the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS via iTunes. The size of the update is approximately 300MB. It is not known whether this patch offers any other new features besides the fix for text message threats.
Apple has issued the following statement on its software update. “We appreciate the information provided to us about SMS vulnerabilities which affect several mobile phone platforms. This morning, less than 24 hours after a demonstration of this exploit, we’ve issued a free software update that eliminates the vulnerability from the iPhone. Contrary to what’s been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit.”
Apple Inc. offered this firmware update a day in advance of its deadline.
Charlie Miller, the security researcher who discovered this SMS vulnerability demonstrated the hack at the Black Hat 2009 conference in Las Vegas. This hack has disastrous consequences as not only can it infect a user’s iPhone and allow a third person to control its functions, but also be sent to everyone in that iPhone’s contact list. Thus, set a chain reaction in progress.