Released earlier today, the iOS 10.3 update by Apple boasts a new array of features as well as the fix for the problematic bug that allowed hackers to trick Safari users into paying fees. According to Arstechnica, the ransomware was mostly targeted at individuals that accessed pornographic websites or who attempted to illegally download music or other such content.
The Ransomware functioned via popup windows that if they were accessed it would send the user on a website which looked similar to a Law Enforcement site. Once there, the user was informed that they had to pay a fine for committing and illegal act.
According to Lookout researchers, hackers were able to trick the users into paying the ransom fee by preventing them from accessing any function of the browser until the fee has been paid. More specifically, the attack would completely block any action to be done on Safari until the payment would be done in the form of an iTunes Gift Card. The attack website would also show various messages to intimidate and scare the victims into paying.
Initially, the flaw was found by a user who was led to a website called pay-police dot com and subsequently lost control of Safari. After that, there would be an endless popup wave that couldn’t be stopped by the user.
With the release of the iOS 10.3 fix, users are able to fix this issue by deleting their browsing history and the cache. These JavaScript popup spams should no longer be affecting users of Safari. For a more detailed description of this problem, people can check the Lookout blog where it is described entirely.
Leave a Reply