Last Updated:
iMessage is used by billions of iPhone users and is said to be Apple’s secure messaging platform for a big reason.
Apple users are being warned about a major phishing threat via iMessage
Apple’s iMessage is heavily used by iPhone users across the globe and the company claims it is secure. But a new report suggests otherwise as fake SMS attacks are being warned for these users. It seems the hackers have found a loophole in the iMessage settings which allows them to disable Apple’s phishing protection tool, which makes it easy for them to push dangerous messages with malicious links and files.
Android folks have been facing these threats for a long time and it is now time for the iPhone users to be cautious before clicking on links in messages from unknown senders.
iMessage Phishing Threat: What We Know
The scary details about the iMessage threat has come via a report quoted by Bleeping Computer in its piece. The report claims the hackers first send a message impersonating their friend or a relative to gain their trust and push through the malicious link which allows them to disable the phishing tool on iOS.
Now, they are free to send iMessage content with more dangerous links that makes it easier for them to remotely gain access to the device and the data stored on it.
The scarier thing about these attacks is that you don’t even need to click on the links in the message, just merely replying to them could activate the threat and the phishing attempt will bypass the security of your device and do its job without alarming you of any intrusion.
So how can iPhone users avoid getting scammed by these phishing attacks? Security experts will tell you the basic way to not fall for these messages is to be careful about the content of these iMessage texts, and if they are coming through unknown numbers, best to avoid opening or even responding to them. And yes, never click on any links in these messages which might redirect you to a third-party malicious website.