Coronavirus warning: A dangerous new virus is infecting iPhones and spreading quickly.
Apple has long claimed that the iPhone is one of the most secure smartphones on the market. But even this closed system is vulnerable to risks. Researchers at Google's Threat Intelligence Group have discovered a powerful hacking tool called "Coruna," capable of compromising iPhones by exploiting vulnerabilities in the operating system.
What is most surprising is that this tool, which may have originally been designed for espionage given its sophistication, has spread among various groups of hackers and even among cybercriminals.
This case is raising concerns among experts because it demonstrates how advanced cyber espionage tools can be reused in criminal attacks.
The coronavirus is not traditional malware but rather an exploit toolkit designed to exploit vulnerabilities in operating systems.
According to an analysis by Google and other cybersecurity firms, this group contains 23 different security vulnerabilities in the iOS system, organized into five integrated attack chains, allowing attackers to bypass multiple protection systems.
In some cases, the attack may begin as soon as you visit a compromised website, where malicious software is executed, allowing the attackers to take control of the device.
Once inside, hackers can install spyware or malware to access the user's personal information, from files and messages to financial data or cryptocurrencies.
Researchers believe that the Corona malware was not developed by ordinary cybercriminals.
The program's technical level and structure indicate that it is a tool designed with huge resources, most likely by entities linked to governments or surveillance companies.
In fact, the analysis indicates that the tool first appeared in espionage attacks before being reused by other groups. Over time, it has also been observed in criminal campaigns targeting, for example, the theft of cryptocurrency from users of specific websites.
This phenomenon is reminiscent of what happened with other leaked cyber espionage tools that ended up being used in large-scale attacks.
The problem doesn't depend on the iPhone model, but rather on the installed operating system version. Researchers confirmed that the vulnerability successfully targeted devices running iOS versions 13 through 17.2.1.
Apple has already fixed many of these vulnerabilities in later versions of the system, so updating your iPhone remains the best way to protect against this type of attack.