The iPhone WireLurker malware: What you need to know
There's a scary new piece of malware that collects call logs, phonebook contacts and other sensitive information from Apple iPhones and iPads. Should you be worried?
The malware was first discovered by researchers at Palo Alto Networks who dubbed it WireLurker and said it exhibited behavior that had never been seen before in malicious software targeting Apple's platforms.
It works by infecting software downloaded from the Web into a desktop or laptop computer. Once installed, the malware waits for an iPhone or iPad to be connected via USB, then it scans the mobile device to see what software it contains. If a target app is installed, it copies the app from the mobile device to the desktop or laptop PC, infects the app and then copies it back.