They are arguably the most recognizable portable devices on the planet, but would your employees consider the security implications if an individual walked through the door typing away on one? Or spending hours in a coffee shop, doing the same? What am I talking about you ask? The answer is an iPod.
Outfitting an iPod Touch with popular software for exploiting vulnerabilities, as well as password-cracking and Web app hacking applications, quickly turns this innocent device into a hackers delight. This is, in part, due to its size and ability to connect back to a more robust attack platform. The devices can go most places without arousing any suspicion. It can be left behind in many locations and scenarios, even doing its dirty work from the “Lost and Found.”
Why the iPod Touch over its seemingly much more robust cousin, the iPhone? This is due to a much lower initial cost and no need to contract with a cellular provider. However, they have many features in common including WiFi connectivity and a powerful Unix platform. A few of the benefits that the iPhone provides are the built-in camera and voice recorder.
They have most, if not all, of the same abilities of laptop based penetration tests. They can perform ARP spoofing and force nodes to use it as a gateway, sniffing packets as it eventually sends them to their rightful destinations. Hidden on site, they offer a backdoor that can be remotely connected to retrieve information and perform additional attacks.
As mainstream portable devices get smaller and more powerful, they become even more potentially dangerous.
For more information on this topic, read the article posted by DarkReading: Weaponizing Apple’s iPod Touch
Posted by:
Michael Hartke
IDS Security Analyst
infotex