Nowadays, people are largely dependent on their smart devices. It is very inconvenient to lose the device. Losing information within the gadget is already as bad as it gets. And if the smartphone or gadget gets infected by a malware, abusing private information, the results are beyond inconvenient and are very likely to be harmful to the users.
Recently, security firm Palo Alto Networks has identified a new malware called YiSpecter. The malware has been found to affect Apple devices, and users that have been affected reside mostly in China and Taiwan. YiSpecter can install unwanted apps and replace existing legitimate apps once it infiltrates a device. TechCrunch said that the malware also sends user information back to the server and changes bookmarks and default browsers.
YiSpecter has been discovered to infect devices with older versions of the iOS. Users who are in iOS 9 are unaffected by the malware because the new operating system prevents the issues caused by malicious software such as YiSpecter. MacRumors has reported that Apple has already issued fixes for iOS 8.4. The fixes have been implemented in iOS 8.4, iOS 8.4.1, and iOS 9.
Apple issued a statement regarding the matter saying only older versions of the iOS are affected by the new malware. The tech giant also urged users to be updated with security updates and the latest operating system. "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."
Last month, malware XcodeGhost has also been found to affect iOS apps, most of which come from the Chinese app store. Palo Alto Networks has disclosed extensive details regarding the YiSpecter malware in its blog post, saying that whether or not an iPhone is jailbroken, the malware will still be able to affect the device. The security firm said that there is no evidence showing that XcodeGhost and YiSpecter are related.
