IBM: iPhone hype to test handset security

"A lot of these attacks are going to be very hard to launch against the iPhone."

You don't suppose that OSX has anything to do with that, do ya?

Or maybe Apple's "Mine" mentality that won't allow much of anything to run on it. The only real known avenue of attack right now is safari.

No, its not because OS X runs on it. If it were, then Apple couldn't possibly argue that the reason not to allow 3rd party apps at this time is because of security reasons.

mhzdoesmatter nailed the actual reason.

Hacking at the iphone is just like hacking at any other mobile... Let me outline this for you folks:

1) If it makes a WiFi connection, oops I can slip in arbitrary code in the packets. 2) Downloading of email, it displays PDF inline, more code in the PDF to all me to attack. 3) ANY connection between Safari and any other application and from the sounds of it (dial direct from Safari, Steve taunted) I can make a phone number link with malicious code embedded in the URL. 4) Same as above, but with the Google Mapping application. 5) If "apps" (yes even web 2.0 apps) are downloaded and installed then that tells me that I could in theory install a malware program that forces Safari to goto X URL upon opening or other action.

I could easily go on and being that they limited (requested limited) Safari to around 10Mb on downloads, that tells me that one can crash Safari. Now, if Safari crashes do you have to restart the phone or Safari? And I haven't even got into the hardcore hacking at OS level via Bluetooth, GSM data packets, etc.

Boy, I have to admit I am getting excited on getting mine and hacking at it!!!

Worry Some - Secure ALOT! Stainless

Safari runs in a sandbox so cracking safari won't necessarily give you access to the phone. We'll see when exploits appear, if they do.

Mate, you have been wrong so often, why not give up and let IBM's experts do the talking? They just might have a clue!

First - thank you, testudo, for a good post, they're rare. @stainless - I've had Safari crash on my iPhone(8GB) several times and it never requires a restart of the phone, you just wind up back at the home screen and restart Safari, hit history and go back where you were. Oh rjwill246, IBM has a clue???(can you say 3GHz G5?) next you'll try to tell me that Motorola knew what was good for Apple in the late 90s and early years of the New Millenium... Z