Toronto lab uncovers flaw in Apple devices that prompts worldwide update for users
The latest iOS update is an urgent and important one for every Apple user worldwide whether they have a phone, computer or watch.
The tech giant has issued a security patch after Citizen Lab, based at the University of Toronto, uncovered a concerning flaw.
“That feels pretty good. That said, it’s also sobering because it highlights the sophistication of the problem we’re looking at,” John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at the lab, told CTV News Toronto Tuesday.
He said the team discovered a technique allowing spyware to access devices through what’s called the zero-click exploit, which allows someone to remotely hack and infect a device without the owner ever clicking on a link or ever knowing.
Researchers believe the spyware was developed by NSO Group, an Israeli technology firm, with products for governments to prevent crime and terror. Citizen Lab said they picked up on it while a Saudi activist was being targeted.
Researchers also say Apple had no idea about the flaw which means the company had to act right away.
“Today, the targets appear to be people like activists and other high value people. That said, there is nothing to prevent this company from doing what they want to do tomorrow, which is sell it to local governments and local police. That’s a pretty scary thought because we know there are problems with oversight,” Scott-Railton said.
Citizen Lab has been analyzing these types of digital threats from Toronto for years and has local students help with some of its projects.
“Make sure to update your phones but also remember what this update means. This means there is an industry out there that is unaccountable and finding ways to hack any phone in the world without any action on your part,” Scott-Railton said.
He warns while this flaw was caught, those behind the zero-click exploit are increasingly making the technology more sophisticated and dangerous.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Golf season a summer tourism driver in Canada
Golf is a sign of spring and summer and a major driver for seasonal tourism, experts say.