iOS Camera Permission Lets Apps Take Photos Without Telling You
Apple Inc. has a reputation, rightly or wrongly, for taking security on its iOS platform very seriously. Developer Felix Krause recently called attention to a simple hack that can be used to steal passwords on iOS, and now he’s back with another potential Apple security hole. According to Krause, the way Apple manages the camera app on iOS opens the door for apps to spy on users and upload footage to the internet. Krause is the founder of Fastlane, a developer toolkit that was acquired by Google this year. While he does work for Google, Krause says this is a personal project. All the code (and a sample app) is posted to GitHub, so others are free to check his work. The gist of the problem is that granting the camera permission to an app gives it far too much power. The sample app shows how a seemingly innocent app that’s following all of Apple’s rules could actually be snooping on everything you do. When you allow an iOS app to access your camera, it can take photos and vide...