iPhone Malware Installs Computer Inside Your Apple Device: Full Details on How Hack Steals Data

Apple users should watch out because an incredibly sophisticated iPhone malware was recently spotted online. Cybercriminals use this to create a separate computer inside the iPhone memory to spy and steal the victim's data.

The threat against cyberattacks continues to escalate as malicious actors come up with new and creative ways to hack, snoop and steal user data. The most recent discovery reported by New Scientist is definitely one threat that people should look out for because it is a malware developed by the Israeli tech firm NSO Group.

iPhone Malware: The NSO Group Cyberattack

Be warned that the malware is a part of the NSO Group's Pegasus software tool. For reference, this is a malware that could be installed remotely to steal text messages, photographs, emails, videos and contact lists. Pegasus also has the ability to discreetly activate microphones and cameras on an infected device, spying on the owner without their consent.

This malware was reportedly distributed to countries like Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, India and the United Arab Emirates. Notably, some U.S. lawmakers have called for sanctions against this firm. Unfortunately, they have yet to completely shut down their operations.

Even worse, NSO Group continues to develop new features for their malware and spyware, with its latest tool called ForcedEntry. According to experts, a cyberattack using this tool is classified "zero click" vulnerability, meaning users do not have to click or install anything to be infected.

Overall, this puts the malware as one of the most dangerous cyberattacks against iPhones. Even worse, many experts find it hard to remove the malware once it infects a device.

How Does It Infect an Apple iPhone?

According to experts, the malware attack exploits a vulnerability on iPhone systems, specifically with its iMessage function. It takes advantage of the Apple software that encodes and decodes an image, which is usually used on text-heavy PDF files.

The attack starts when a malicious actor sends out a specially crafted iMessage with GIF animation. During the Apple decoding, the malware breaks out of the computing and executes a code to build its own rudimentary virtual computer, which is separate from the iPhone operating system. Afterward, this virtual computer will issue the acute commands to steal certain data, manipulate or transmit it back to the attacker.

Due to the sophisticated nature of this attack, it is difficult for usual antivirus systems to detect the malware. Victims who have their devices infected also lose all their "protection" against this attack.

Apple reportedly fixed this specific issue on a September patch with iOS 14.8. However, experts emphasized that iPhones that have already been infected might continue to be vulnerable to this dangerous malware.

Overall, users are recommended to update their systems with the latest operating system constantly. The situation of Apple against NSO Group is also still progressing, so more updates on the tech firm might be available later this week.