The first trojan, GoldPickaxe, has appeared on iOS. Once on a smartphone, it can collect Face ID data, identity documents, and intercepted text messages, reports Tom’s Guide.
GoldPickaxe was developed on the basis of the Android trojan GoldDigger and modified to work on both mobile operating systems. The collected data can be used to steal money from banking and other financial applications. Biometric data can also be used to create deepfakes, which attackers need to access bank accounts.
The trojan was initially distributed to iPhones via TestFlight, Apple’s testing platform. However, the company has now removed GoldPickaxe’s access, after which the attackers began using social engineering to convince their victims to install a mobile device management (MDM) profile. This way, the attackers could take full control of the victim’s device.
To avoid becoming a victim of malicious actors, iPhone owners should not install TestFlight or any test applications from the platform. You should also not create mobile device management profiles from unauthorized individuals who are not employees of your company.
To scan your device, you can use Intego Mac Internet Security X9 or Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9 to connect your iOS device to your MacBook and scan for threats.
Apple has not yet issued any official statements on the situation.
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