Celebrity Nude Photo Leak: Apple Says They're Not at Fault, iCloud Hacks Were 'A Very Targeted Attack'
ByDespite an extensive leak of various celebrities' private photos, apparently obtained through their iCloud accounts, Apple says it is not at fault.
According to Reuters, Apple released a statement after initially saying nothing on the matter. Even if they are not to blame, Apple has found itself in the news for the wrong reason and at a most inopportune time with a week to go before they unveil their newest iPhone.
Apple said a hacker obtained naked pictures of several celebrities though a focused and particularly intended attack, not in a general security breach. The iCloud stores backup files of personal photos, documents and other personal information and data.
"We have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet," Apple said in a statement. "None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple's systems including iCloud or Find My iPhone."
However, that is not to say Apple's iCloud is airtight. Even when activating the "two-step verification" security measure, an Apple's users photos, contacts and calendar are apparently still vulnerable. An expert in online security, Mikko Hypponen told BBC News the two-step verification was "implemented only to protect your credit card."
He said this was likely the key flaw that allowed the hacker to extract what he or she wanted. According to Wired, one software program in particular was being discussed in hacker forums.
Vladimir Katalov, a computer programmer in Moscow, told BBC News he was almost certain ElcomSoft, the product of a Russian firm, was used to obtain the images. It is a program Katalov said could be used for "good or bad," but was designed to be marketed to law enforcement.
"It doesn't require two-factor authentication when you just want to access the photo roll, or if you want to restore the back-up," Hypponen said of ElcomSoft. "I can use my computer to extract files from your online back-up - something you can't do yourself."