iPhone worm creator lands software job

Discussion in 'News' started by UKDarkstar, Nov 27, 2009.

  1. UKDarkstar
    Honorary Member

    UKDarkstar Terabyte Poster

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    iPhone worm creator lands software job



    The 21-year-old hacker who wrote the first iPhone worm has landed a job developing software for the phones.

    Ashley Towns wrote Ikee, a self-propagating program that changed the phone's wallpaper to a picture of 80s pop singer Rick Astley.

    Mr Towns has now been employed as a iPhone application developer for Australian firm mogeneration.

    Ikee was not malicious but paved the way for a more serious variant which targeted users of the online bank ING.

    "It leaves a nasty taste that he has been rewarded like this, yet has not even expressed regret for his actions," Graham Cluley of Security firm Sophos told BBC News.

    Mr Towns said that he had created the virus to raise the issue of security. He has not faced any criminal charges.


    Full story : HERE
     
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Comments

    1. dazza786
      dazza786
      FYI

      So really, it wasn't even that big of a deal. He wrote an app to scan and use default pass to change the screensaver, transfer the app and run.. AND that was only on phones which had been unlocked illegally anyway.
    2. zebulebu
      zebulebu
      Firstly, creating 'something useful' in the IT security field usually means highlighting an exploit. He's done that.
      Secondly, the argument about forcing a background picture on someone's phone is laughable, considering what he COULD have done to people who have already invalidated their warranty and, as far as Apple is concerned, violated their copyright
      Thirdly, the mere fact that he has coded an exploit with such a tiny effect, when he COULD have coded something far, far worse indicates that he is a 'good guy'. If he were black hat, believe you me, he wouldn't have been bigging himself up so much on the Internet
      Finally, anyone who got caught by this exploit is an utter f***tard anyway. Installing SSH and not changing the root password is like walking into the middle of a motorway at rush hour with your eyes blindfolded.
    3. JK2447
      JK2447
      Fair enough, thanks for setting me straight 1-4, so simple even an idiot like me can understand :biggrin. You admire that he got his job using an alternative route, I stand by everything I've already said.

      **Edit: I meant to mention, my views are based on what he did do, not what he could do.
      Last edited: Nov 30, 2009
    4. michael78
      michael78
      Regardless he had no right to mess with other people's property. He should of pointed it out to Apple and left it at that and not told the world about it.
    5. dazza786
      dazza786
      The targeted phones had no 'right' to be unlocked. Do you really think Apple are going to release a 'fix' for the default password on phones which have been unlocked? I don't.

      On your other point; if you had invented something which nobody else had, would you tell as many people as possible? of course you would. Would you make a means to prove it? of course you would.

      Anyway... it's been debated and it is what it is. The kid got a job. No point carrying on :biggrin
    6. michael78
      michael78
      We will have to agree to disagree on this one :)
    7. demarrer
      demarrer
      I see this story from both sides. This guy is not a bad egg - he spotted a problem with jailbreaked phones, and wrote a worm that closed the security hole. However as it's a worm, it is designed to selfpropagate - so all those people with the worm will be paying from their data allowance as it propagates. This is not such a funny matter as the guy wasnt sure how much the worm could rack up!

      However, do you take the rough with the smooth if you have a jailbroken iphone?

      One thing the guy didn't do is put any sort of expiry date on the worm, it could be out in the wild for a very long time. Long live Rick Astley. :D

      p.s if anyone is interested, check out the interview between the hacker/Sophos on risky biz security website.
      p.p.s disclosing of vulnerabilities openly to a company is not a good idea and could land you in very hot water!
    8. JK2447
      JK2447
      I agree, not a bad kid but worms do eat bandwidth so harmless or not, its a pain and malware IMO. Rep'd because this was one of the reasons I was against the kids creation
      Last edited: Nov 30, 2009
    9. BosonMichael
      BosonMichael
      You likely won't understand unless you've had to undo that "harmless" stuff done to computers on your domain or devices in your company. :dry
      Last edited: Dec 1, 2009
    10. BosonMichael
      BosonMichael
      Yep. I'd never be able to trust him with the "keys to the kingdom". As such, he'd never get hired by me.
    11. dazza786
      dazza786
      It's part of the job.
    12. BosonMichael
      BosonMichael
      It is. But that doesn't mean that I have to condone or endorse his behavior.

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