iphone hacked?

baldric

I woke up last week to see that while I was asleep someone had hacked? my iPhone, deleted a lot of notes, sent incomprehensible SMS to the last 5 recipients on my SMS list. Had changed my browser to Yahoo, had been on amazon and ebay. Signed me to twitter.

They had used c spire wireless and a redirection service.

I have since updated my software to IOS 8.1. There is no problem on any of my bank accounts and nothing seems to have been bought on amazon or on ebay, but I am watching certain things on ebay which wouldn't normally interest me ( e.g. engagement rings!!!)

Now I have no idea was my phone hacked, or did they get in through open wifi in a hotel I was staying in that night or whether the iCloud has been hacked.

I have no real understanding of technology so, I was wondering what I should do, get a new phone, reset the phone......?

Anyone got any ideas?

Zcott

That's very, very odd. First up, change your iCloud password because it sounds like someone might have gotten into it that way, and signed in on another iPhone.

Sad Professor

They are watching things on Ebay using *your* Ebay account?

Do you have a computer or other iDevice at home that somebody might be using? Or have you ever used your Apple ID to activate someone else’s device?

I find it hard to believe your phone or Apple ID was hacked. In any case, change your Apple ID and email passwords.

baldric

Thanks for replying sad professor,

No I have no other device that anyone else could be using, I had everything else off at home and disconnected, and there is no one there to use anyway. On my browser they had been on amazon and ebay, but there was no sign of activity on either of my amazon or ebay accounts except a viewing of an eternity ring and I got an ebay notification 3 days later that I had been looking at it and it was being relisted. it is possible that this is just a coincidence and that it relates to someone who checked it out from my Laptop months ago, thats pretty unlikely, as I can only recall one time anyone else used by laptop, but I can't be 100% on that.

What I know for sure is as follows:

My phone was connected to wifi in a spanish hotel and when I woke the next morning the following had happened all at approx 2 AM.

The last 5 SMS recipients had got multiple incomprehensible texts. ( had to explain to everyone that I wasn't in fact twisted!!!)

My notes on my phone had been partially deleted and the remainder had random text included

My browser was changed to Yahoo

Twitter was added to my iPhone and there were links to cheryl coles twitter account ( never used or been subscribed to twitter)

MIcrosoft app had been added

a list of favourites were included on my browser that had nothing to do with me

a history of access to C spire, windows,e bay, amazon showed up in my browsing history, and a reference to redirection software appeared?


Thats as much as I can recall, I have changed my apple password and my ebay account password and have downloaded iOS 8.

I have noticed nothing suspicious since.

I suppose I should change all my bank passwords and codes???

Thanks for you help

Sad Professor

Is the phone jailbroken?

baldric

the phone is o2, the only thing I have done is to get it unlocked, which was for sim purposes, i think

Sad Professor

Officially unlocked - by O2/Apple?

baldric

no by a lad in a corner shop ? about a year ago.......

Sad Professor

Then it’s jailbroken. Jailbroken iPhones are very vulnerable to hacking. This would be next to impossible with a non-jailbroken device.

I’m not sure what your next course of action should be. Change all your passwords anyway. You have to assume the hacker got everything. Then try and get the phone officially unlocked so you can restore it. I wouldn’t be connecting to any public Wifi networks in the meantime.

baldric

Brilliant, that all makes sense now, and many thanks for all your help

guil

Sad Professor wrote: »

Then it’s jailbroken. Jailbroken iPhones are very vulnerable to hacking. This would be next to impossible with a non-jailbroken device.

I’m not sure what your next course of action should be. Change all your passwords anyway. You have to assume the hacker got everything. Then try and get the phone officially unlocked so you can restore it. I wouldn’t be connecting to any public Wifi networks in the meantime.

Doesn't have to be jail broken to be unlocked and unless it was an iPhone 4 that was never updated its impossible to unlock with a jailbreak. I don't think the iPhone 4 got iOS 8 so that rules that out.

baldric

its an iPhone 5 about a 14 months old, How can you tell if its jailbroken or just unlocked?

flyguy

If I'm not mistaken if it's jailbroken there should be an app called Cydia on the phone (maybe hidden but I think spotlight search should be able to show it).
If it was unlocked you can update the iOS without the simlock going back on, you can't do that with a jailbreak.
That doesn't mean you can't update iOS it just means the phone will be locked again (and the cydia app will be deleted).
However if you're using the original sim you'll only be able to tell the the simlock is back by putting a sim from another network in.

guil

There was never a software unlock for an iPhone 5 available on cydia.

flyguy

I was mistaken then... Is there a way to tell?
Obviously if the phone is locked again now it was a jailbreak unlock?! (OP said iOS was updated, I assume that still puts simlock back on if jailbreak unlocked?)

shanec1928

Put your imei into this and it will tell you what it's status is http://iphoneimei.info

guil

flyguy wrote: »

I was mistaken then... Is there a way to tell?
Obviously if the phone is locked again now it was a jailbreak unlock?! (OP said iOS was updated, I assume that still puts simlock back on if jailbreak unlocked?)

Yes if you jailbreak and unlock, the unlock is removed if you update. All that is irrelevant though because there is no unlock available.

shanec1928 wrote: »

Put your imei into this and it will tell you what it's status is http://iphoneimei.info

I find most of those imei checkers useless. Mine is unlocked and it says unknown. Told me a 32gb iPhone was only 16gb before as well.

jack presley

baldric wrote: »

My phone was connected to wifi in a spanish hotel and when I woke the next morning the following had happened all at approx 2 AM.

Isn't free wifi in hotels, cafes etc. vulnerable to hacking?

The following id from Witopia's FAQ. I know they're trying to sell a product so they might be a bit of scaremongering going on but there;s probably some truth to it.

"Although most don’t realize it, Wi-Fi Hotspots, whether paid or free, are horrifically insecure. You are literally broadcasting all of your data “in the clear” with typically no security whatsoever. This can include your e-mail, IM messages, web searches, and any other data sent or received over the wireless network.

It is shockingly easy for anyone to “sniff” and capture your data without your knowledge. Due to the ease of the crime, and the fact Wi-Fi Hotspots are typically frequented by folks with a little change in their pocket, a Wi-Fi Hotspot is a tantalizing place for bad guys to lurk.

One common tactic is something called the “evil twin” attack where the evildoer sets up a laptop as a seemingly legitimate Wi-Fi Hotspot. You connect to the Internet through “FREE Airport Wi-Fi” — or anything the bad guy wishes to name it — and although all seems fine you are actually sending all of your data through a hacker’s laptop.

Honestly, we’re not sure how often this happens, and it may even be pretty rare. Nevertheless, with data crimes, it usually only takes once to cause some pretty serious havoc in your life.

With WiTopia VPN service you could even connect through the hacker’s laptop and all they would be able to capture is a lot of encrypted gibberish they will never be able to crack.