Security researchers to unveil iPhone SMS vulnerability

Two security researchers, Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner, have discovered a serious security vulnerability on the iPhone and will present their findings later today at the Black Hat convention in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, they have already demonstrated this flaw in action to CNET’s Elinor Mills before the conference. Here’s what happened: While I was talking on the phone to Charlie Miller, his partner, Collin Mulliner, sent me a text message from his phone. One minute I’m talking to Miller and the next minute my phone is dead, and this time it’s not AT&T’s fault. After a few seconds it came back to life, but I was not able to make or receive calls until I rebooted. The attack is enabled by a serious memory corruption bug in the way the iPhone handles SMS messages, said Miller, a senior security researcher at Independent Security Evaluators. There is no patch, despite the fact that Apple was notified of the problem about six weeks ago, he said. [via CNET] Read more..

Foxconn offers family of engineer money and yearly stipend

The need for secrecy on new products for many companies is high on the list of priorities. However, some of the companies like Apple try and keep a tighter lid on security than others. Some sources say that a leak of a new Apple product could cost the company their lucrative Apple contract. This month reports started coming in that a worker at Foxconn, the company who builds the iPhone, had killed himself after losing a 4G prototype of the Apple smartphone. The reports claim that the man was illegally detailed, abused and his apartment was searched by Foxconn and Hon Hai security workers. SlashGear reports that Foxconn has offered the family of the deceased man about $52,600 in a lump sum payment and a yearly stipend of a meager $3,385 per year until they die. I have a feeling Foxconn has yet to see how far the ramifications of this event will lead. [via SlashGear] Read more..

iPhone owners get chance to set Guinness World Record

When I was a kid I always wanted to set my own world record for something sweet like the longest time spent playing Pac-Man or the longest jump ever landed on a Huffy bike with a banana seat. Alas, I never won my world record glory; banana seats are hard on landings. It looks like the folks at Guinness world Records are set to give me another shot at world record fame with a new app for the iPhone. The game allows players to compete to set a virtual world record in events like cockroach eating, melon crush, and largest bubblegum balloon. If your need to set a world record goes beyond the virtual world, Guinness is also running a contest to set a world record in the real world by getting the highest score on the iPhone game. The highest score submitted by August 12 will get the winner listed in the 2010 Gamer’s Edition of the world record book. The game is available now for $4.99. [via Warner Bros] Read more..