A rather serious Apple iTunes vulnerability has recently affected Windows PC users. Discovered by the cyber security company Morphisec, the vulnerability is found at the level of a path left open in iTunes for Windows. Through this Zero-Day vulnerability, attackers are allowed to exploit the target system and launch ransomware cryproviviruses, such as BitPaymer and IEncrypt.
This vulnerability “Apple Zero-Day” is present in the update service Bonjour of Apple, which is installed together with Apple iTunes and Apple iCloud pe Windows PC.
The vulnerability appeared due to the carelessness of the developers, who have known for a long time that leaving a path open, without quotes, opens an important breach in the security system, which can be immediately exploited by attackers. The even worse part is that these breaches are almost impossible to detect by antivirus software and Windows' defensive security system. The correct closing of a path is always done with quotation marks. “\\”, to avoid vulnerabilities. In the present case, the security loophole left open allowed attackers to exploit the Bonjour service, a trusted service with Apple's digital signature, and launch ransomware applications without being detected by security systems. Basically, everything came through a reliable service / application.
Apple fixed this vulnerability in iTunes 12.10.1 and in the update iCloud for Windows 7.14, but for users who have uninstalled iTunes and iCloud on Windows, the problem is a little more complicated. The Bonjour component is installed together with one of the two applications (iTunes or iCloud), but few users know that uninstalling Bonjour is done separately, ca standalone application. Uninstalling iTunes and iCloud will leave Bonjour installed along with the security patch on the Windows operating system.
If in the past you had iTunes installed on your Windows PC, it is good to check in the list of programs if Bonjour remained installed. Users who have older versions of iTunes are urged to immediately update to the latest versions.
Mac users are not affected by this vulnerability.
