Backdoor Malware Targets Apple iPad

An anonymous reader writes "Apple iPad users are being warned of an email-borne threat which could give hackers unauthorised access to the device. The threat arrives via an unsolicited email urging the recipient to download the latest version of iTunes as a prelude to updating their iPad software. Apart from opening up a backdoor, it also tries to read the keys and serial numbers of the software installed on the device, and logs the passwords to any webmail, IM or protected storage accounts."

Comments

Re:Disappointed in /.

[courteaudotbiz]

As this kind of jokes about Apple users is getting moderated "troll", "overrated" or "flamebait" by all those Apple-Fanboy-Slashdotters, no one is willing to get his karma downgraded for something that's not worth talking about: Apple.

I smell a rotten apple

[FearKratos]

I guess its time to change that dirty pad. It was only a matter of time before someone tried to hack/infect the ipad on a grand scale, I'd like to see how Steve Jobs counters this....Introducing the iVagisil.

well, kind of right, too

[pydev]

The malware installs modified firmware that opens up a backdoor on the iPad itself.

And the reason this backdoor exists is because iPad doesn't do OTA firmware updates. This can't happen on many Android or Symbian devices because those do OTA updates from a known server and don't require any desktop software at all.