Alert, Alert, Panic, Alert! New SMS Exploit Will Kill Us All!!!!

[Guest Alex (nedge2k)]

....er...not really ;) Got your attention though, right? :)

According to Forbes:

On Thursday, two researchers plan to reveal an unpatched iPhone bug that could virally infect phones via SMS.

If you receive a text message on your iPhone any time after Thursday afternoon containing only a single square character, Charlie Miller would suggest you turn the device off. Quickly.

"iPhone!?", I hear you cry. What the hell's that got to do with us? Well, as per usual these days, WM gets mentioned in hushed tones but mentioned it is, nonetheless. This bug does effect WM (and Android - although Google have issued a patch), supposedly allowing full control of a device. I find all this a little hard to believe if I'm honest but, well, time will tell...

Full story, sans technical deets

via [PocketNow]

[Guest deadphill]

So kids, make sure you do a full backup of your device and files as often as possible!

Cheers

Phill

[Guest ScreamingFalcon]

Or, just take care in who you give your number to.

[Guest Shuflie]

Looks like its a second Bug which Google has patched which only allows an attacker to knock the phone off the network for about 10 seconds at a time. This one affects iPhones too, but not WM is seems. Hardly as serious as taking over your phone to send more attacks (and running up your phone bill) but annoying none the less. Maybe we'll all wake up on tuesday next week with something actually available on the WM update for a change :)

[Guest Alex (nedge2k)]

This one affects iPhones too, but not WM is seems. Hardly as serious as taking over your phone to send more attacks (and running up your phone bill) but annoying none the less.

They say they've also found a similar texting bug in Windows Mobile that allows complete remote control of Microsoft ( MSFT - news - people )-based devices. Another pair of SMS bugs in the iPhone and Google's ( GOOG - news - people ) Android phones would purportedly allow a hacker to knock a phone off its wireless network for about 10 seconds with a series of text messages. The trick could be repeated again and again to keep the user offline, Miller says. Though Google has patched the Android flaw, this second iPhone bug also remains unpatched, he adds.

[Guest ccsnet]

The joy of the unpatcable 6.1....... caint wait to switch to Android as you have to wait 18 months to see any thing out of the providers other wise.

That been said - thanks for the warning.... I will also echo a full regular backup is sensible too. SPB's tools are spot on for a nooby and a pro.

Terran