Apple has confirmed that it is in the process of developing and testing a new patch for iOS after German security researchers working on behalf of the German Federal Office for Information Security discovered an unpatched exploit that would allow full access to the device and personal information while viewing a PDF using Apple’s internal viewer. The exploit affects all iOS devices and the office suggests avoiding opening PDFs on the device unless they are from a trusted source.
The exploit in its current form is extensive as it would allow for the interception of passwords, online banking data, calendar entries, e-mail and other information, such as telephone conversations and the location of the owner. Apple declined to comment on an availability timeframe for the patch and would not comment further on the exploit. The discovery of the latest exploit follows the discovery of another exploit by the same office last year, which was then rectified in later updates by Apple.
