Earlier this week we reported on YiSpecter malware that was said to infect both jailbroken and non-jailbroken iPhones. The malware was reported by Palo Alto Networks and looked to be a pretty nasty infection that could cause some serious issues. Now Apple has spoken out on the matter and has officially claimed that YiSpecter has been patched since iOS 8.4 and the company knew about the malware already. Here is their official statement to website “The Loop“.
UPDATE 10/06/2015 10:06am EST: Palo Alto Networks has issued a statement concerning YiSpecter and the Apple press release. From Ryan Olson, Director of Threat Intelligence, Unit 42, Palo Alto Networks; “In the last 10 months Apple has released multiple updates that have improved iOS security and YiSpecter should not be able to fully infect an up-to-date iOS device using its existing techniques. The “NoIcon” component of YiSpecter is only installed if the device is running iOS version 8.3 or earlier; a device running version 8.4 or later will not be affected.”
Original Story cont.
“This issue only impacts users on older versions of iOS who have also downloaded malware from untrusted sources. We addressed this specific issue in iOS 8.4 and we have also blocked the identified apps that distribute this malware. We encourage customers to stay current with the latest version of iOS for the latest security updates. We also encourage them to only download from trusted sources like the App Store and pay attention to any warnings as they download apps.”
So now as users, you can accept the explanation from Apple as the situation is dealt with and you’re no longer under any threat from YiSpecter malware. Or you can continue to probe the company and wait for security companies like Palo Alto Networks to verify the validity of Apple’s claims. We have reached out to Palo Alto for comment.
What do you think of Apple’s statement? Do you believe this issue is resolved? Or is there a larger underlying issue under it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Google+, Facebook and Twitter.
*Hat tip Chris Sewell
Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
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