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Security Researchers Use Wi-Fi and Safari Exploits to Breach iPhone 7 at Annual Mobile Pwn2Own Contest

Wednesday November 1, 2017 1:29 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Trend Micro's annual Mobile Pwn2Own contest took place in Tokyo, Japan today at the PacSec security conference, and security researchers spent the day attempting to hack into the iPhone 7, the Samsung Galaxy S8, the Google Pixel, and the Huawei Mate 9 Pro in an effort to win prizes totaling more than $500,000.


Apple's iPhone 7, running iOS 11.1, the latest version of the iOS 11 operating system, was successfully breached twice by Tencent Keen Security Lab. The first hack targeted a Wi-Fi bug and won the team $110,000 and 11 Master of Pwn points, while the second hack targeted the Safari Browser and earned Tencent Keen Security Lab $45,000 and 12 Master of Pwn points.
They used a total of four bugs to gain code execution and escalate privileges to allow their rogue application to persist through a reboot. They earned $60,000 for the WiFi exploit and added $50,000 for the persistence bonus - a total of $110,000 and 11 Master of Pwn points.

Tencent Keen Security Lab was on the clock once more as they targeted the Safari Browser on the Apple iPhone 7. It took them just a few seconds to successfully demonstrate their exploit, which needed only two bugs - one in the browser and one in a system service to allow their rogue app to persist through a reboot. As the second finisher in the Browser category, they earned half of the cash award at $45,000, but still earned the full 13 Master of Pwn points.
Security researcher Richard Zhu was also able to leverage two bugs to exploit the Safari browser and escape the sandbox to successfully run code on the iPhone 7, earning him $25,000 and 10 Master of Pwn points.

Along with the iPhone 7, researchers were able to find exploits for the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Huawei Mate 9 Pro, earning a total of $350,000.

Trend Micro hosts Pwn2Own in an effort to promote its Zero Day Initiative, designed to reward security researchers for disclosing major vulnerabilities to tech companies like Apple and Google.

Pwn2Own continues on through tomorrow, so additional exploits may be uncovered. Apple representatives have been known to attend Pwn2Own competitions in past years, and all vulnerabilities discovered are disclosed to Apple. The company then has 90 days to produce patches for all iOS-related bugs before they're publicly disclosed.

Tag: Pwn2Own
[ 93 comments ]


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btrach144
20 months ago

Would these security researches tell Tim cook that getting rid of touch ID was retarded?

This has nothing to do with FaceID or TouchID. Please remain relevant.
Rating: 42 Votes
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SoApple
20 months ago

Would these security researches tell Tim cook that getting rid of touch ID was retarded?


What an irrelavant and pointless comment.

On a more relevant note. This exploit has been fixed in the new update.
Rating: 26 Votes
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dannyyankou
20 months ago
These contests are great. They give good incentives to find security exploits, and they end up getting patched by Apple.
Rating: 19 Votes
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Slix
20 months ago
The real question is: Will their exploits they found affect my iPod touch running iOS 6.1.6?

:P
Rating: 14 Votes
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WatchFromAfar
20 months ago

On a more relevant note. This exploit has been fixed in the new update.

Has it? the post says "Apple's iPhone 7, running iOS 11.1, the latest version of the iOS 11 operating system" which came out yesterday.
Rating: 10 Votes
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Aloft085
20 months ago

FBI joke in 3-2-1....


No need, the FBI is the joke.
Rating: 10 Votes
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chucker23n1
20 months ago

Good job Google for being unbreachable.


Apple, Google, and Huawei all released last-minute patches in the middle of the night

[..]

Next up, 360 Security (@mj0011sec ('https://twitter.com/mj0011sec')) also attempted to exploit the Samsung Internet Browser on the Samsung Galaxy S8. They succeeded in getting the browser to run their code, then leveraged a privilege escalation in a Samsung application to persist through a reboot. These two bugs earned them $70,000 and 11 points towards Master of Pwn.

Rating: 8 Votes
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69Mustang
20 months ago

Exactly. If it’s that easy then why is the government so hell bent on getting back doors in these platforms?

Well Krupp, if I keep pounding on your door screaming "Let me in, let me in" you tend to think your locks are pretty good. In fact you think your locks are so good you don't even realize I'm pounding on your door from the inside.:eek:

/re-orders tinfoil... using cash... in nickels, dimes, and pennies:oops:
Rating: 7 Votes
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chucker23n1
20 months ago

Look, it's okay. You don't have to backtrack. You made a mistake.

Samsung got hacked, Apple got hacked. You're replying to a report about Google being unhackable with a post about Samsung. If it makes you feel better, all mobile OSs can be hacked.


Your mental gymnastics are adorable.
Rating: 6 Votes
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69Mustang
20 months ago

Google releasing a "last-minute patches in the middle of the night" isn't Google?

I think Austin is stating Samsung isn't Google. Samsung's internet browser has nothing to do with Google. You're entire quote was about Samsung, not Google.
Rating: 5 Votes

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