by Apple has released iOS 9.3.5 as a security update after an active malware threat has been detected on iPhone devices.
Coming just weeks before the release of iOS 10, this update fixes a potential exploit which allows the threat, known as “Trident”, to read texts and email, record your calls (including VoIP calls on WhatsApp), track your location and turn on your phone’s microphone and camera.
We’ve all been worried about security and privacy, especially in light of the US Government’s request earlier this year for Apple to provide them access to an iPhone, however this piece of malware is far more terrifying and invasive than anything discovered so far.
Trident exploits three zero-day vulnerabilities in iOS 9 which allow it to break through Apple’s relatively secure mobile operating system.
A zero-day bug or vulnerability is named as such because it’s been undetected in an operating system meaning that the company responsible for fixing it has not yet detected the security threat. This in turn almost guarantees that the bug will work.
Ahmed Mansoor, an internationally recognized human rights defender based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), first discovered the zero-day vulnerabilities.
On August 10 and 11, 2016, Mansoor received SMS text messages on his iPhone promising “new secrets” about detainees tortured in UAE jails if he clicked on an included link. Instead of clicking, Mansoor sent the messages to Citizen Lab researchers.
According to Citizen Lab, after a joint investigation conducted in conjunction with Lookout Security, the links were discovered as belonging to an exploit infrastructure connected to NSO Group who are reportedly owned by an American venture capital firm.
Lookout Security and Citizen Lab forwarded their findings to Apple who then released iOS 9.3.5
If you haven’t updated your iPhone or iPad yet, here’s how to do so:
First, check to see which version of iOS you have on your device.
On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app and go to General > About > Version. If it says 9.3.5, you’re all good, if you see anything else, you need to update your device.
To download and install the update, open the Settings app and go to General > Software Update. Your iPhone will automatically check for the latest update.
Once the update has been found, tap Download and Install to begin.
If you have a passcode, you’ll need to enter it and then agree to iOS’s terms and conditions.
The update should take a minute or two to download and a few minutes to install.
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