The company was forced to make that claim after a researcher presented a hack that could allow the company to read iMessages. October 18, 2013 5:58 AM PDT (Credit: James Martin/CNET) Apple has said time and again in the wake of the NSA snooping scandal that it can't read user iMessages. But new research has shown that it's theoretically possible. Security firm QuarksLab on Thursday issued a white paper describing a method by which a hacker or Apple itself could access iMessages. The white paper, which was first reported on by All Things Digital, says that Apple could intercept messages between sender and recipient and make them believe that their communication is secure. In order to do so, however, Apple would need to disrupt the encryption between communications and effectively change how iMessages works. Back in June, Apple issued a statement on its site discussing its "commitment to customer privacy." The company said at that time that iMessages were kept entirely secure. Related stories Apple can read your iMessages, security firm says Apple promises iOS update to fix iMessage delivery issues Unofficial Apple iMessage app removed from Google Play Store Unofficial iMessage app for Android appears, likely unsafe Apple iCloud services offline for a few million users "Conversations which take place over iMessage and FaceTime are protected by end-to-end encryption so no one but the sender and receiver can see or read them," Apple wrote in June. "Apple cannot decrypt that data. Similarly, we do not store data related to customers' location, Map searches or Siri requests in any identifiable form." In a statement sent to All Things Digital in response to the new research, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said that Apple would have to jump through hoops to achieve access to iMessages, and it has no desire to do that. "The research discussed theoretical vulnerabilities that would require Apple to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit it, and Apple has no plans or intentions to do so," Muller told All Things Digital. CNET has contacted Apple for further comment on the issue. We will update this story when we have more information.
The company was forced to make that claim after a researcher presented a hack that could allow the company to read iMessages.
Apple has said time and again in the wake of the NSA snooping scandal that it can't read user iMessages. But new research has shown that it's theoretically possible.
Security firm QuarksLab on Thursday issued a white paper describing a method by which a hacker or Apple itself could access iMessages. The white paper, which was first reported on by All Things Digital, says that Apple could intercept messages between sender and recipient and make them believe that their communication is secure. In order to do so, however, Apple would need to disrupt the encryption between communications and effectively change how iMessages works.
Back in June, Apple issued a statement on its site discussing its "commitment to customer privacy." The company said at that time that iMessages were kept entirely secure.
Related stories
- Apple can read your iMessages, security firm says
- Apple promises iOS update to fix iMessage delivery issues
- Unofficial Apple iMessage app removed from Google Play Store
- Unofficial iMessage app for Android appears, likely unsafe
- Apple iCloud services offline for a few million users
"Conversations which take place over iMessage and FaceTime are protected by end-to-end encryption so no one but the sender and receiver can see or read them," Apple wrote in June. "Apple cannot decrypt that data. Similarly, we do not store data related to customers' location, Map searches or Siri requests in any identifiable form."
In a statement sent to All Things Digital in response to the new research, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said that Apple would have to jump through hoops to achieve access to iMessages, and it has no desire to do that.
"The research discussed theoretical vulnerabilities that would require Apple to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit it, and Apple has no plans or intentions to do so," Muller told All Things Digital.
CNET has contacted Apple for further comment on the issue. We will update this story when we have more information.
