According to information that recently came to light, the Italian spyware development and distribution company, Hacking Team, has developed a method of intercepting data from a number of popular iOS applications, utilizing a technique called a “masquee attack”.
The “masquee attack” technique is a process through which attackers can modify the code of a legitimate and accredited iOS application, adding additional binary code, without it being detectable by a simple user.
This particular type of attack first appeared in December 2014 and was successfully addressed by Apple a few months later with the release of iOS 8.1.3, thus keeping users safe to this day.
However, investigating the data leaked online, as part of the recent cyber attack carried out against Hacking Team, FireEye researchers discover that the Italian company has found a way to successfully exploit masquee attacks, having already compromised 11 popular applications: WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Google Chrome, Viber, Blackberry Messenger, Skype, Telegram and VK.
By adding malicious code to applications, attackers can monitor user activity and even send various types of data from iOS devices to remote servers, without requiring user interaction.
Through the modified applications, it is also possible to make and record voice calls, intercept SMS messages, geolocation data, photos, contacts, as well as monitor users' browsing habits.
For additional technical details about the attack, please visit FireEye's blog: https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/08/ios_masque_attackwe.html
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