[There's a reason that Yoda is the unofficial mascot of SBS. Size indeed matters not.] Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole - THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA
Tue, Aug 24 2010 12:12 bradley

Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole

Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole | John Paczkowski | Digital Daily | AllThingsD:
http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100823/the-real-itunes-fraud-vulnerability-gullible-users/

I would be so bold to say that I am a savvy person, and I know I have not clicked on any phishing scams.  I can also say that I scanned all of the computers in my possession and short of some new backdoor that is unknown, I challenge the view that this issue is bot related.  If so ...why in the world take "just" the iTunes access?

I did have my paypal account hooked to the iTunes.  Mind you it was relatively recently that I had hooked it to Paypal in a mistaken idea that that was safer than having my credit card in there.  So I challenge the idea that this is my fault and gullible users were at play here.

"Phishing likely behind reports of iTunes Security hole"

http://www.pcworld.com/article/203979/itunes_scam_how_to_protect_yourself.html?tk=hp_new

 iTunes users often don't know how their accounts were compromised, but it seems that many are simply handing out their user names and passwords without realizing it. Sometimes, they're doing so in hopes of getting a good deal -- by buying unauthorized iTunes gift codes online, for example.

Sorry folks I didn't drop off the turnip truck yesterday.  I had mine hacked for $60 via paypal and phishing was NOT behind my issue.  Now then apple does send an email when your password is reset. 

Bottom line there is 'something' still at play here and Phishing is so not it.  I know what I click on, I know what I enter, I do not buy iTunes gift codes online.  Keep digging journalists out there because you are doing a disservice to your readers to keep blowing us off.

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# re: Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 4:01 PM by DaveN

Get a Zune.  Buy Zune point cards from BestBuy or Amazon and stick them in there instead of a credit card (the points from the 360 work for Zune too).  Better player, better software, less risk.

# re: Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 5:25 PM by Dean

" I can also say that I scanned all of the computers in my possession and short of some new backdoor that is unknown, I challenge the view that this issue is bot related"

And I still say how can you be 100% sure even if you scanned the drives outside of the operating system ? There is malware today that erases itself after it is done. There are rootkits. There are hundreds of varients of malware and 60,000 new editions per day. They have ways of taking over a browser session so that you don't even know they were there. Antivirus is all but worthless whether run within the operating system or outside of it.

So I ask you again. How can you be so sure ?

I am highly recommending these days that people reformat and reload at least twice a year to be safe and even then you can't know on any given day if you are safe.

# re: Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 5:29 PM by bradley

No more than they can be sure it was a phishing attack.

You really think that someone is going to make that complex of an attack and waste it hacking into "just" my itunes account?  Really?

Sorry I'm not buying that a malware/rootkit so silent with no tracks (supposedly) is only going to hack my iTunes and not try to transfer money out of my online banking/paypal/credit cards etc.  

I can be sure because the money trail isn't there for this level of (supposed) sophistication.

# re: Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 5:53 PM by Dean

"Sorry I'm not buying that a malware/rootkit so silent with no tracks (supposedly)"

Supposedly ? Really ? Try fact.

siemblog.com/.../analysis-of-the-first-real-pdf-launch-attack-no-javascript-required

"The last few lines is the clean up portion, which executes 3000 milliseconds after game.exe is ran to remove game.exe, batscript.vbs, and script.vbs from the user’s computer"

"for this level of (supposed) sophistication"

No, again it's a fact

"This Trojan also attaches itself as the debugger for explorer.exe to hide itself and ensure it is started when Windows is loaded"

Are you still really so sure now ?

These things that you think are so sophisticated are actually easy these days. That's why it would be worth it for someone to target a specific thing like iTunes because that's all they may be interested in or they may not like the penalty involved for breaking into bigger things like bank accounts.

# re: Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 6:00 PM by bradley

Still sure.

Never opened up a pdf from the web.

And there's log files left on firewalls.

I know what I clicked.

# re: Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 6:01 PM by bradley

P.S. I do forensic analysis for the office.  There is no such thing as "no tracks".  Granted sometimes you get inconclusive information and cannot make a determination but -zero- tracks is not possible.

# re: Phishing Likely Behind Reports of iTunes Security Hole

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 6:29 PM by Dean

'There is no such thing as "no tracks" '

Granted. At least that we know so far.

But how much time and money would a person have to spend to either a.) prove that something was there or b.) prove to a 90% satisfaction that nothing was there ? And would you have to be trained by the FBI or Secret Service or another master malware writer to have the tools and knowledge ? How many hours a month would a person have to invest in keeping such knowledge current ?

This is not something for the average person who is trying to stay safe. So in the end periodic fresh installs seem to be the easy way to go.

And I wasn't saying that you got infected from a PDF. PDF's are just one of many vectors that the same strain of malware, as in the example given, can use to infect.