Kellie
03-23-2013, 08:45 AM
CUPERTINO, Calif., March 22 (UPI) -- Apple says it has suspended the password-reset function for its iCloud and iTunes services in response to reports hackers could exploit it to hijack accounts.
Apple took its password reset page offline a few hours after reports of an online tutorial that provided detailed instructions for taking unauthorized control of Apple accounts, Arstechnica reported Friday.
The hack involved "pasting in a modified URL while answering the DOB security question on Apple's iForgot page," The Verge, which first reported on the tutorial, said.
"It's a process just about anyone could manage, and The Verge has confirmed the glaring security hole firsthand," the website said. "Out of security concerns, we will not be linking to the website in question."
An iCloud or iTunes account was vulnerable if an attacker knew the account-holder's birth date, a piece of information often disclosed on Facebook and other social media, Arstechnica said.
Apple was "aware of the issue, and working on a fix," the company said in a post.
Apple took its password reset page offline a few hours after reports of an online tutorial that provided detailed instructions for taking unauthorized control of Apple accounts, Arstechnica reported Friday.
The hack involved "pasting in a modified URL while answering the DOB security question on Apple's iForgot page," The Verge, which first reported on the tutorial, said.
"It's a process just about anyone could manage, and The Verge has confirmed the glaring security hole firsthand," the website said. "Out of security concerns, we will not be linking to the website in question."
An iCloud or iTunes account was vulnerable if an attacker knew the account-holder's birth date, a piece of information often disclosed on Facebook and other social media, Arstechnica said.
Apple was "aware of the issue, and working on a fix," the company said in a post.