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iPhone Takes Screenshots of Everything You Do

Posted by kdawson on from the watchbird-is-watching-you dept.

The_AV8R writes "Jonathan Zdziarski showed that every time you press the Home button on your iPhone, a screen capture is taken in order to produce a visual effect. This image is then cached and later deleted. Zdziarski says that there have been cases of law enforcement looking up sex offenders' old data and checking recovered screenshots." This revelation occurred in the midst of a webcast on iPhone forensics, demonstrating how to bypass the iPhone's password security (not trivial, but doable). Video from the talk is not online yet but is promised soon over at O'Reilly.

16 of 225 comments (clear)

  1. FUD by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Funny
    From TFA:

    Therefore, forensics experts have used this security flaw to successfully nab criminals who have been accused of rape, murder or drug deals, Zdziarski said.

    iPhone: the tool of choice for rapists, murders, and drug dealers!

    Joking aside, the article is puzzling and it reeks of FUD: if the iCrooks were bad enough to get the authorities to actively track and sieze their data then they deserve to be caught for being too stoopid to buy disposable phones in cash from 7-11. Even Johnny dormroom pot- dealer knows that!

    1. Re:FUD by wild_quinine · · Score: 4, Funny

      Joking aside, the article is puzzling and it reeks of FUD:

      Apple FUD on slashdot? Maybe the LHC is gearing up for armageddon after all.

    2. Re:FUD by djh101010 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sorry, LSD, this is the apple-hating thread, not the rant-about-wasting-jail-space-on-potheads thread.

    3. Re:FUD by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

      Off-topic but yes, possessing drugs does make you a crook

      Or a pharmacist.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    4. Re:FUD by neoform · · Score: 4, Funny

      Alls I heard was "I love apple" and "I'm a huge fanboy"..

      --
      MABASPLOOM!
  2. Just out of curiosity... by AndyG314 · · Score: 4, Funny

    What type of incriminating things are sex ofenders doing with their iPhones.

    --
    If it's dead, you killed it.
    1. Re:Just out of curiosity... by Fx.Dr · · Score: 5, Funny

      I believe it has something to do with multi-touch.

  3. Pragmatic by mfh · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's pragmatic to not press the home button when doing home invasions or killing people, I guess.

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
  4. And this just in! by Artraze · · Score: 5, Funny

    It turns out that you browser will store all the information needed to recreate the web pages you visit! Not just a screenshot! This critical flaw appears to have present for years in all known browsers! The end is near!

    Seriously? Come on. I know ./ likes to post anything related to the iPhone, especially if it involves "spying", but this is pretty uninteresting. Security is traded for speed and features on a daily basis, including places where do so presents a major risk (*cough*Outlook). This is really not too surprising since it trades at most a little privacy in exchange for a neat effect; what would you expect Apple's iCandy to do?

    1. Re:And this just in! by venicebeach · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's even worse than that, the iPhone keeps copies of all your emails, and records phone numbers you have called as well as keeping a database of all your personal contacts!!! The thing is a 5 ounce privacy invasion machine!

  5. Re:It's nice to know by Subliminalbits · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't forget the page file. The horror; your computer is constantly taking screen shots of your applications ram and storing them on the hard drive!

  6. Re:Even the Author Doesn't Think It's News by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 4, Funny

    I _am_ Jonathan Zdziarski

    No, I'm Jonathan Zdziarski!

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  7. Re:Even the Author Doesn't Think It's News by Inda · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, I am Jonathan Zdziarski.

    --
    This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
  8. Re:Even the Author Doesn't Think It's News by fo0bar · · Score: 3, Funny

    I _am_ Jonathan Zdziarski and even I don't understand why this is news.

    Welcome to Slashdot. Here's your oversized novelty foam finger.

  9. I'll show them... by russotto · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wrote a little app to fill the cache with screenshots of the IRS web pages. Anyone tries to investigate me, they'll have to carefully examine Publication 936, the instructions for Schedule F1, the guidelines for reporting "nanny" wages, and the like. Even if they aren't literally bored to death, they definitely won't want to look any further.

  10. Re:Makes you wonder.... by frosty_tsm · · Score: 3, Funny

    You can with the iBeer app.

    (sorry, I tried to find the link)