The US government has issued a warning over an iOS 8 vulnerability that could be exploited by hackers to gain access to private and sensitive user data stored on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch.
According to an online bulletin released by National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Teams in the US, hackers could potentially exploit the iOS 8 vulnerability using a newly identified technique known as the “Masque Attack”.
The iOS 8 security flaw was first disclosed by security firm FireEye earlier this week warning that hackers could exploit the loophole to replace authentic apps with duplicates, which will in turn provide them means to infiltrate an iOS device and siphon off sensitive and private data.
According to the security bulletin from the government “hackers could potentially steal login credentials, access sensitive data stored on iOS devices and remotely monitor activity on those devices.”
As a precautionary measure, users shouldn’t install apps from unknown sources. Users with jailbroken devices should particularly be careful with apps from third party app stores especially the ones that are not fully trusted.
The government bulletin also notes that users should refrain from clicking on “Install” button on windows that pop-up while they are surfing the web. Also, “if iOS flashes a warning that says “Untrusted App Developer,” users should click on “Don’t Trust” and immediately uninstall the app.”
