iPhone security flaw: deleted emails not really deleted
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A blogger at the gadget site Gizmodo has uncovered a potential email security flaw in iPhone OS 3.0. After deleting emails it is still possible to recover them using the search function, even though the emails no longer appear in the main mail interface, the site reported.
A purported Apple insider told Gizmodo that the company is aware of the issue and would probably have a fix for the flaw in iPhone OS 3.1.
The problem with being able to access emails that were supposed to have been deleted is that a user could accidentally open old messages containing links to malware or malicious attachments that could be used to hijack the iPhone.
Security firm Trend Micro recently surveyed iPhone users and found that they are more likely to send and receive email as well as click on URLs in email or open an email attachment than other smartphone users.
Nearly half of the iPhone users surveyed (44 percent) said surfing the web from their phone is as safe or safer than from a PC, despite the fact that many do not have security software on the phone.
Other iPhone security risks have been uncovered by hackers, including the ability to take over the iPhone to steal data or send out spam using a maliciously crafted text message.
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