iPhone buffer overflow exploit

Whoops. Looks like somone’s found a buffer overflow exploit on the iPhone which allows arbitrary code to be executed as root. Details won’t be released until the Blackhat convention in Vegas on August 2nd, but it looks like Safari is the culprit – [via] Link.

The exploit’s authors suggest that you not use unfamilar WiFi networks, browse sites you don’t trust, or open web links from emails until Apple releases a patch. So, basically, all the normal internet hygiene rules still apply — people just aren’t used to thinking that way about their phones yet. Add the risk of having your phone lost or stolen, and maybe you’ll agree that it’s just generally best not to keep too much sensitive/private data on portable devices.