Attention all those with a jail broken iPhone! If you have also installed SSH, without changing the default password, then you might be in for trouble.
Because a smart alec Aussie computer geek has gone and created the first iPhone worm (and called it ikee) – and he has been able to do this by targeting of a weakness in the SSH iPhone software – us, the users! Why? Because apparently, not changing the password is:
is the digital equivalent to installing a new door on your house and hanging the key to the lock from the door handle.
And the problem is that SSH is appealing because it allows users to remotely connect to their phone via the internet. So its likely that a large percentage of Australian jail broken iPhones are vulnerable to the worm.
You will know you have the worm if you discover that your iPhone’s wallpaper has been changed to a picture of British 80’s icon Rick Astley with the accompanying message: “ikee is never going to give you up.”
According to Towns, the worm was created as a practical joke rather than malice. But, as Towns has released the full source code for four different variants, there is the possibility that the worm will spread from Australia! So if you have a jail broken iPhone and have also installed SSH, then you need to change your password, pronto. F-Secure has posted instructions on how to change the root password.