Apple's Worst Security Breach: 114,000 iPad Owners Exposed

[OhioChick]

Source: Business Insider

Jun. 9, 2010, 5:04 PM

Apple has suffered another embarrassment. A security breach has exposed iPad owners including dozens of CEOs, military officials, and top politicians. They—and every other buyer of the wireless-enabled tablet—could be vulnerable to spam marketing and malicious hacking.

The breach, which comes just weeks after an Apple employee lost an iPhone prototype in a bar, exposed the most exclusive email list on the planet, a collection of early-adopter iPad 3G subscribers that includes thousands of A-listers in finance, politics and media, from New York Times Co. CEO Janet Robinson to Diane Sawyer of ABC News to film mogul Harvey Weinstein to Mayor Michael Bloomberg. It even appears that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's information was compromised.

It doesn't stop there. According to the data we were given by the web security group that exploited vulnerabilities on the AT&T network, we believe 114,000 user accounts have been compromised, although it's possible that confidential information about every iPad 3G owner in the U.S. has been exposed. We contacted Apple for comment but have yet to hear back. We also reached out to AT&T for comment.

AT&T closed the security hole in recent days, but the victims have been unaware, until now. For a device that has been shipping for barely two months, and in its wireless configuration for barely one, the compromise is a rattling development. The slip up appears to be AT&T's fault at the moment, and it will complicate the company's already fraught relationship with Apple. But it will also likely unnerve customers thinking of buying iPads that connect to AT&T's cellular network.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-worst-security-breach-114000-ipad-owners-exposed-2010-6

[ClassWarrior]

1. Open the iPhone to other carriers!!

NGU.

[gateley]

2. Just what I was going to say. Maybe this will let Apple get out of their commitment to

AT&T w/o penalty.

[Occulus]

15. You already can do that yourself in some cases

Jailbreak and unlock. Apple does everything it can to prevent you from doing so, but that doesn't mean they're successful.

Unlocking currently (to my knowledge) works on the Iphone 2G, 3G, and 3GS running firmware 3.1.2 with the "old" bootrom. You must jailbreak first, using pwnage tool, redsn0w, blacksn0w, blackra1n, or other tools. I know of no 3.1.3 unlocker as yet, and the iPhone OS 3.2 will be shipping this fall if it hasn't already.

Why Jailbreak?

Jailbreaking will unlock your device so you can install 3rd party applications on it that are not available in Apple's iTunes store using an apps store called Cydia. Some of the popular applications people install once their phone is jailbroken is:

# MxTube - Download and save YouTube video on iPhone
# NemusSync - Sync iPhone calendar with Google Calendar
# iPhoneModem or PDANet - Let you use iPhone as modem and give your laptop connection to Internet via iPhone
# Mame4iPhone - Play arcade game on iPhone (this is the same MAME that runs on the PC)
# Voicemail Forwarder - Send voice mail messages to an e-mail destination
# Categories - Organize springboard apps into folders (Also will be available in the next iPhone OS)
# MiVTones Video ringtones - For that special someone, play the video of your choice along with audio
# V-Out - Display any iPhone content on your TV
# MCleaner - Caller ID blacklist screener
# Adblock - Blocks ads in Mobile Safari
# FindMyi - Tracks your iPhone location in the background
# iBluetooth - Bluetooth file transfer
# Winterboard - Add themes to your iDevice icons (including iNav, a desktop total conversion)
# Terminal - View the iDevice directory structure and issue *nix commands to the OS
# OpenSSH - Add and remove files on your iDevice without using iTunes, using a PC app such as WinSCP
# AV Player - Play media files you added via SSH

If you choose to jailbreak and unlock, please be very careful, do lots of research beforehand, and follow instructions carefully. Failure to properly jailbreak/unlock can result in breaking the baseband of your phone; some devices require you to downgrade your firmware, back up your SHSH blobs, and so on.

It's work, but if you can accomplish the deed, it's worth it.

[midnight]

3. Breach on purpose.

[Moonwalk]

4. Title is misleading. It was AT&T's security breech, not Apple! And...

Apple has been trying to get other carriers on board for the iPhone. Everyone keeps blaming Apple for not opening up to other carriers...but Apple went to every carrier before releasing the iPhone. Only AT&T would agree to what let them do what they wanted to do. And in a lot of cases, what Apple wanted to do was far more fair and "liberal."

Complain to the carriers if you want them to sell the iPhone, not to Apple. They're the ones refusing to do so because Apple won't let them (the carriers) use their draconian terms rather than the (usually) more fair Apple terms.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. You can take unlocked iPhones to other carriers, no problem.

[Bill219]

6. I was talking with a friend of mine who works for Apple the other day

and he said that the reason why Verizon has not been picked up by Apple yet is because contrary to what Verizon's commercials claim, their 3G network is not up to snuff. Verizon was told by Apple to come back to them when they improve their network. He also said that Verizon uses very dubious poll results to be able to claim that they have the best 3G coverage in the US and that due to their popular commercials we bought their lies hook line and sinker.

He likes to say that Verizon is the Fox News of the mobile world

[onehandle]

9. All cell phone carriers suck in one way or another.

When the iPhone was announced, I just happened to be on my third network, Cingular.

Then they merged with AT&T and here I am about to get my third iPhone. I probably drop a call every month or so. No big deal to me.

My 3G access here is usually from 3 to 4 Mbps. It will be going up to 7+ pretty soon. That's what's most important to me.

[customerserviceguy]

7. It's OK

I heard they issued an iPatch.

[onehandle]

8. It was AT&T's leak. It was fixed. A top security group said it's unlikely any emails were stolen.

Boy, people sure get excited over any hint of a problem at Apple.

Why?

Because they are just that good.

And again. This was an AT&T problem on their billing system involving iPad 3G accounts. Not on iPads themselves.

[NYC_SKP]

10. This story really raised my iBrow.

:hide:

[kirby]

11. It really makes me iRate n/t

[IDemo]

12. i2

[Confusious]

13. Wouldn't fing use AT&T

I'm getting one in August. Isn't the thing wireless also?

Why pay out the ass for something (Wireless) that is everywhere these days. I keep seeing "free wireless" signs everywhere.

[alfredo]

14. Sure, they are cheaper too. I will probably buy one later

this year, or I might jump for a Lumix GF1 camera. I will know in November.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. I'm trying to understand why this is a problem for me.

So even more people will have my email address? BFD.