Hackers Deliver Malicious Keyboards Used To Spy On Users By Ignoring Apple’s Checks: Report

According to research, rogue keyboards that may evade Apple’s strict security measures and eavesdrop on user activities may target iPhone users. Although Apple reviews apps that are made available through the App Store, third-party keyboards are installed through an alternative method that enables developers to test their iOS apps. Once installed, these keyboards can be used to surreptitiously monitor users, gathering their bank account details, passwords, browsing history, sent messages, and any other information entered into the phone. Third-party keyboards are being distributed by hackers under the guise of “stalkerware,” which is a term for spyware programs or services that track and harass users online, according to security firm Certo Software. Hackers are allegedly using TestFlight to spread these harmful apps, despite the fact that it is challenging to distribute them through the App Store since Apple scans them before they are released. Through the online TestFlight platform from Apple, developers may ask users to try out their product before it’s released or participate in beta testing before it’s added to the App Store. The same site is reportedly being used by hackers to spread harmful third-party keyboards, which users may then install on an iPhone that belongs to a lover, friend, or family member. After the keyboard is installed, the target’s iPhone has to have a different setting enabled for third-party keyboards to be able to gather user data. On iOS, by default, no keyboard is permitted to access the Internet.

People may find it challenging to distinguish these kinds of applications on their smartphones because, as seen by Certo Software’s screenshot of one of these keyboards, the malicious keyboard looks a lot like Apple’s default keyboard. A web site allows a stalker to access phone data that has been recorded, the company claims. As noted by the security company, Apple may introduce a notification system to tell users when a new keyboard is installed on their smartphone. This notification system would resemble WhatsApp’s recent login alert, which appears a few hours later. If you don’t have the TestFlight app installed on your phone but can locate it in your App Library or Settings app, it’s another indication that unapproved software has been installed on your device without your consent.