Follow TechBlips on Twitter
![Dutch Hacker Holds Jailbroken iPhones Hostage For €5 Ransom While Exposing Security Vulnerability [IPhone]](http://images.dailyradar.com/media/uploads/tech/story_preview/2009/11/03/dutch_hacker_holds_jailbroken_iphones_hostage_for_.jpg)
Blog Reactions
Gizmodo: Dutch Hacker Holds Jailbroken iPhones Hostage For €5 Ransom While Exposing Security Vulnerability [IPhone]
9 to 5 Mac - Apple Intelligence: Jailbreakers that don't change thier
The Next Web: Dutch Hacker Hijacks iPhones. Offers Owners Fix…for Cash.
Reactions
 |
Secuestran iPhones con Jailbreak.http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/11/dutch-hacker-holds-jailbroken-iphones-hostage-for-5.ars 3 days ago |
 |
@nathanpye http://bit.ly/vcG7R anything to avoid this<< 13 days ago |
 |
LOL http://bit.ly/1Q67Es 14 days ago |
Dutch Hacker Holds Jailbroken iPhones Hostage For €5 Ransom While Exposing Security Vulnerability [IPhone]
Gizmodo —
... This particular gentleman was almost kind. He didn't inflict any serious harm, only demanded a small optional payment, and limited his activity to the Netherlands. Whoever learns from his approach might not be as nice. The lesson, my darlings? Change your root passwords if you've got a jailbroken iPhone or disable SSH. I finally did. [Ars Technica] ...
Jailbreakers that don't change thier
9 to 5 Mac - Apple Intelligence —
Here's the short version: You jailbreak your iPhone and SSH access is opened on it. If you don't change your password, a hacker knows your login and password and can log into your iPhone (or iPod touch). A Dutch hacker takes this a bit further by throwing up an SMS popup after breaking into unsecured iPhones and asking €5 for instructions on how to secure the iPhone. We'll save you €5 -- do a restore.
The long version is at Ars.
If you want to stay clear of this kind of nonsense, change ...
Jailbreakers that don't change their default passwords get hacked
9 to 5 Mac - Apple Intelligence —
Here's the short version: You jailbreak your iPhone and SSH access is opened on it. If you don't change your default root password, a hacker can log into your iPhone (or iPod touch) and gain full control very easily. A Dutch hacker takes this a bit further by throwing up an SMS popup after breaking into unsecured iPhones and asking €5 for instructions on how to secure the iPhone. We'll save you €5 -- do a restore.
The long version is at Ars.
If you want to stay clear of this kind of ...
Dutch Hacker Hijacks iPhones. Offers Owners Fix…for Cash.
The Next Web —
... There are reports that an enterprising Dutch hacker has preyed on many handsets operated by T-Mobile Netherlands, issuing notices that alert the user that their iPhone is vulnerable unless they paid €5 for a fix. ...
News: Hacker targets jailbroken iPhones in extortion ploy
iLounge | All Things iPod, iPhone, iTunes and beyond —
image A Dutch hacker has used an exploit commonly left open when jailbreaking an iPhone or iPod touch to try and extort €5 from a number of T-Mobile Netherlands users. Ars Technica reports that the hacker used port scanning to identify jailbroken iPhones on the network that had SSH running. As many users who had activated SSH had not changed the default root password, the hacker was able to hack into the devices and send an alert that appeared on the screen like an incoming SMS message. The false alert read, “Your iPhone’s been hacked because it’s really insecure! Please visit ...
iPhone Extortion Plot Takes Advantage of Jailbreaking
GEARFUSE —
... and secure your iPhone right now! Right now, I can access all your files. This message won’t disappear until your iPhone’s secure.” Riiiiiiight. D’oh!
Users are asked to deposit $5 into a PayPal account in return for a promised solution for unhacking the device, most likely just a factory reset of the phone. This is a warning to all you jailbreakers out there. Shit can happen. Be safe. The Force is with you.
Link
...
Hulu Debuts 'Coming Soon' Feature, Obama and Bill Gates Back Caring Site
Switched —
... Jailbreaking an iPhone lets a user customize features and add capabilities, but it also makes the device vulnerable to hackers. One Dutch hacker recently targeted jailbroken iPhones, commandeered them, and then charged the owners ransom. The hacker charged almost $10 per gadget, which given the fanatical devotion of Apple owners, seems a little amateurish. [From: Ars Tecnica] ...
Dutch hacker accesses jailbroken iPhones, requests €5
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) —
... users to Paypal and requests €5 in exchange for instructions that explain how to remove the hack. But how did he get in? By relying on users' forgetfulness. All iPhones have a default root password. Those who forget to change it are vulnerable to this very kind of attack.
Asking for money is kind of a bummer but much less obnoxious that other things he could have done. The moral of the story is pay attention and be thorough when jailbreaking your iPhone.
[Via Ars Technica] TUAWDutch hacker accesses jailbroken iPhones, requests €5 ...
iPhones Taken Hostage By Dutch Hacker
iSmashPhone - Turn your Phone into your MyPhone —
... A Dutch hacker took a number of unsuspecting iPhones hostage (so to speak) and created some panic in the iPhone universe. Users running jailbroken iPhones on the T-mobile Netherlands were greeted with a SMS alert which spelled out the predicament of their device and also the hacker’s demand! The hacker in question asked for a paltry sum of €5 and in turn promised a fix. ...
Hacker breaks into jailbroken iPhones, asks for $7
Crave: The gadget blog —
... Ars Technica reports that before the page was removed, it asked that victims send 5 euros ($7.36) to a PayPal account and then await an e-mail with instructions on how to secure the phone. The fix probably would involve restoring the factory settings, according to the Ars Technica post. ...
Hacker breaks into jailbroken iPhones and asks for money
iPhone Atlas —
... Ars Technica reports that before the page was removed it asked that victims send 5 euros ($7.36) to a PayPal account and then await an e-mail with instructions on how to secure the phone. The fix probably would involve restoring the factory settings, according to the Ars Technica post. ...
Forget malware infections, hackers want to ransom your files and devices
Download Squad —
... Ars Technica reported recently about one hacker who exploited vulnerabilities in jailbroken iPhones to gain access, alter the lockscreen to display the warning in the screenshot, and ask for €5 to leave users alone. He also promised to provide a link to instructions on how to prevent this particular hack. ...
Hacker Holds Dutch iPhones for Petty Ransom
Wired: Gadget Lab —
... The exploit only worked against jailbroken iPhones. Many iPhone owners who jailbreak their handsets perform a common procedure called enabling SSH in order to execute UNIX commands on the device. iPhones have a default root password that many forget to change, and the hacker was able to scan for iPhones on the T-Mobile Netherlands network running SSH and then gain access by entering the default password, Ars Technica’s Chris Foresman explained. ...
Dutch hacker seeks out jailbroken iPhones for fame and fortune
Engadget Mobile —
... Jailbreaking an iPhone certainly brings many benefits, but it's also frought with some peril, as amply demonstrated by a Dutch hacker who decided to go snooping around for vulnerable jailbroken iPhones in the Netherlands. While he apparently didn't actually ...
Dutch hacker seeks out jailbroken iPhones for fame and fortune
Engadget —
... Jailbreaking an iPhone certainly brings many benefits, but it's also frought with some peril, as amply demonstrated by a Dutch hacker who decided to go snooping around for vulnerable jailbroken iPhones in the Netherlands. While he apparently didn't actually ...
Jailbroken iPhones Held for Ransom by Dutch Hacker
Phones Review —
... According to an article over on arstechnica, a Dutch hacker looked for jailbroken iPhones with SSG running, this enabled the hacker to hack and display a message which said… “You iPhone’s been hacked because it’s really insecure! Please visit doiop.com/iHacked and secure your iPhone right now! Right now, I can access all your files.” ...
Hacker Hijacks A number Of Jailbroken iPhones, Requests Ransom
OhGizmo! —
... that many people don’t bother changing the default password, he was able to gain access to a number of phones. He then changed the wallpaper to make it look as though there was an SMS alert being displayed.
It’s good that the hacker changed his tune and made the fix available for free. It does bring up a very, very valuable point. Regardless of what we’re talking about, be it desktop, phone or server; change the root password!
[ mr09 ] VIA [ Ars ]
...
Dutch Jailbroken iPhones "Gehackt"
Apple Forums & iPhone Forums, Mods, Hacks, News, Themes, Downloads, and more! | ModMyi.com - 4,711,751,911 —
... The exploit is not a complicated one, and a commenter to Ars Technica noted that security researchers have done it in the past, and downloaded users' SMS databases as a "proof of concept" that the security hole exists. A Netherlands-based commenter on tweakers.net provided ...
A good reason to change your “alpine” SSH password
Just Another iPhone Blog —
... and Ars Technica recently reported that a Dutch hacker was logging right into jailbroken iPhones in the Netherlands because — just like most wi-fi router owners – the users had never bothered to change the SSH password. SSH (Secure Shell) is a way to get files on and off of your iPhone, and the default username and password are “root” and “alpine”, so all the hacker had to do once he found a jailbroken iPhone was to log in, insert this lockscreen wallpaper, and execute one of those maniacal super villain laughs (in Dutch). ...
Change Your iPhone's Root Password After Jailbreaking It [Security]
Lifehacker —
... , be sure to change the root access password once you do. Besides hacker ransom attempts , it's just good security sense. The Just Another iPhone Blog provides the steps needed, from first jailbreaking to final lock-down, to get a new, custom root password installed. By default, your iPhone's root password is alpine and everybody with a bit of iPhone savvy knows that. Especially when you open up your phone for tethering access, anyone who knows your iPhone's IP address could potentially jump into the very deep guts of your phone and well, let's just presume they wouldn't ...
Malicious iPhone Worm Threatens Jailbroken Devices
Mac|Life all RSS Feed —
... This isn't the first time that this hack has been used against unsuspecting iPhone owners, but this new malware is the first to spread from affected devices to other jailbroken iPhones using the default SSH password. ...
Jailbroken iPhones infected, again
Brainstorm Tech: Technology blogs, news and analysis from Fortune Magazine » Apple 2.0 —
... In early November, a Dutch hacker seized control of jailbroken iPhones and offered to make them secure again for 5 euros. A week later, an unemployed programmer in Australia released a ...
