Apple on Saturday officially responded to reports that its latest mobile operating system remains vulnerable to text message spoofing, recommending that customers use its more secure iMessage service instead.
A hacker on Thursday drew headlines when he urged Apple to plug a hole in iOS that could allow malicious individuals to send text messages that appear as if they're coming from someone else.
Like other mobile operating systems, iOS SMS messages support transmission of optional, advanced features in the header section of text messages, including a "reply to" address. Since most wireless carriers don't perform verification checks on these header specifications, incoming SMS messages to iPhones could be manipulated to appear as if they're coming from the "reply to" address and not the actual sender.
In a statement obtained by Engadget, Apple reminds customers that its iMessage service was designed to safeguard against the vulnerabilities of the yesteryear Short Message Service (SMS):
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles..._spoofing.html
