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John Stillwell/PA Wire

There's a major downside to jailbreaking your iPhone (if you're thinking about it)

It leaves your device vulnerable to malware as more than 225,000 users found out recently.

MORE THAN 225,000 APPLE accounts have been stolen from owners of jailbroken iPhones in a major malware attack.

Jailbreaking allows you to bypass restrictions that are originally placed on devices, which are usually there for security reasons or to limit certain functions.

Jailbreaking an iPhone allows you extra functionality like customising your phone further or downloading apps from outside the App Store, ones that haven’t been officially approved by Apple. The drawback is it leaves it more vulnerable to attacks and malware.

The malware, called KeyRaider, was discovered by researchers for Weiptech and Palo Alto networks.

It was distributed through the jailbreaking tool Cydia and allows attackers to steal passwords, login details, purchasing receipts, private keys and other data without the users’ knowledge.

It can also hold iOS devices for ransom by disabling any kind of unlocking actions, even when the correct PIN or password has been entered.

Those responsible for the malware can send a push notification demanding a ransom directly, without going through Apple’s own push channels.

If you’re running a normal version of iOS, you’re safe as it only affects jailbroken devices. The researchers recommend against jailbreaking your iPhone or iPad since it puts them at risk of malware and attacks.

Read: This smartphone chip could be a big help in the fight against bad apps

Read: So what can you expect at Apple’s big iPhone event? Quite a bit… >

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21 Comments
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    Mute John003
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 10:52 AM

    Surprised China agreed to the sanctions in the U.N…..Good diplomacy on part of US…This may be final blow to North Korea might lead to slow end of the regime there…

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    Mute Martin Black
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 11:01 AM

    @John003: it’s not something President Trump’s predecessor could get the chinese to go along with.

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    Mute Mick Tobin
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 11:22 AM

    @Martin Black: That’d presumably be because the Chinese are feeling the pinch now like everybody else. They feel abstaining is no longer enough. The big problem for China is their worry about what comes next. North Korea has not just been a nuisance to them but also a convenient buffer. Without that ambiguous attitude all of this wouldn’t have been happening in the first place.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 12:49 PM

    @John003: Every part of asia has US nuklear weapons pointing at them. would the trump like that on his doorstep?

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    Mute Michael Geraghty
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 7:34 PM

    @Sean Conway: what difference does ot make if you have one country with thousands of nuclear weapons or several country’s around you pointing the same countries weapons at them? USA has russia that points it’s arsenal at them. It’s mutually assured destruction and it’s surprisingly effective at keeping peace.

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 11:13 AM

    Good job they decided to cap the importation of diesel and kerosene. That will put a stop to the 2ltr Diesel Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and the shorter range home heating oil powered rockets.

    26
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    Mute Martin Black
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 10:47 AM

    He’s a modern day John Lennon!!

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 2:41 PM

    @Martin Black: John Lennon wrote his own stuff.

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 11:08 AM

    This is a more effective approach than Trump’s bellicose and empty rhetoric.

    Trump needlessly inflamed and provoked a rogue leader.

    Fortunately, the UN Security Council has take a more rational and proportionate approach.

    There is no need for kiling hundreds of thousands of people. All human beings are of value, regardless of nationality.

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    Mute John003
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 11:19 AM

    The UN security council is not independent of the countries in it…..China has changed its decades long stance on North Korea have to give Trump some credit for that. …However these UN sanctions may lead to famine in North Korea this winter with populal unrest against Kim….

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    Mute Padraic Reid
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 11:23 AM

    @Fiona deFreyne: The UN only agreed because of pressure exerted by Trump. The same can be said of the Chinese. Appeasing tyrants is a huge mistake.

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    Mute Fintan O'flaois
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    Dec 24th 2017, 5:40 PM

    @Fiona deFreyne: Please enlighten us, where has the “more effective” appeasement that has been the status quo for the past three decades got us? Maybe we should wait until DPRK has nuclear warhead ICBMs with global reach or maybe we should wait until they have submarine launch capability with capability of no warning global strike.
    No, appeasement has got us nowhere and it’s time for a new approach before the game is up.

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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 11:36 AM

    the sad part of all this is its the ordinary people of north Korea who’ll suffer most. Kim will make sure his big fat ar$€ is kept warm this winter &hes well fed &cosy..doesnt give a damn about his people

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    Mute Frankly Mydear
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    Dec 23rd 2017, 11:57 AM

    Kim the rocket man may go play with his Lego instead of rockets.

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