Apple just released its latest update for iOS and OS X which according to the company will be able to fix one major flaw in its security system. The bug fixes will eliminate potential cookie theft in its devices that could allow hackers to impersonate the iPhone and iPad users.
The bug was first discovered three years ago in June 2013 by Skycure and according to ZDnet, the bug was one of the more notable bugs to patch and difficult to fix. The bug works by sharing the unencrypted cookie store with Safari hence allowing hackers to easily steal the data.
The iOS 9.2.1, create an isolated cookie store for all the captive portal when users are using Wi-Fi or hotspot in an airport or a café hence disabling the dependency for the users to share the cookies with Safari.
According to the Apple Insider, hackers works by setting up a captive portal and attaching it to a Wi-Fi network. When an iPhone users connected to the said Wi-Fi, it will trigger the captive portal hence allowing the embedded browser to load and execute malicious JavaScript content to steal users' cookies.
The cookies stolen will be used by hackers to act on behalf of the users and perform a transaction without users' knowledge.
Besides stealing cookies, Skycure also releases a statement regarding other possible attacks that could be done including "perform a session fixation attack, logging the user into an account controlled by the attacker-because of the shared Cookie Store, when the victims browse to the affected website via Mobile Safari, they will be logged into the attacker's account instead of their own."
Hackers could also use it to "Perform a cache-poisoning attack on a website of the attacker's choice."
The latest update could be the last update Apple might put into its iOS 9.2.1 as the company is currently working on to release a better operating system for its iPhone ahead for its iPhone 7 launch soon. The iOS 9.3 released by Apple soon is expected to be the best operating system for iPhone and iPad users as reported by Tech Times.
According to some sources, an additional function will also be released by Apple through the latest iOS including a Night Shift mode that will allow users to read during the night time. Currently, Apple had already released a beta version of the iOS to allow users to test the system and enable the company to keep on improving it ahead of its official release.
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