FinFisher

FinFisher is security software that has stirred controversy because Gamma International marketed it to government security officials who were told it could be covertly installed on suspects' computers through exploiting security lapses in the update procedures of non-suspect software.[1][2][3] Egyptian dissidents who ransacked the office's of Egypt's secret police following the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reported they discovered a contract with Gamma International for 287 thousand pounds for a license to run the FinFisher software.[4]

A security flaw in Apple Computer's iTunes allowed unauthorized third parties to use itunes online update procedures to install unauthorized programs.[2][3] Gamma International offered presentations to government security officials at security software trade shows where they described to security officials how to covertly install the FinFisher spy software on suspect's computers using iTunes' update procedures.

The security flaw in iTunes FinFisher is reported to have exploited was first described in 2008 by security software commentator Brian Krebs.[2][3][5] Apple did not patch the security flaw for more than three years, in November 2011. Apple officials have not offered an explanation as to why the flaw took so long to patch.

References

  1. ^ Jennifer Valentino-Devries (2011-11-21). "Surveillance Company Says It Sent Fake iTunes, Flash Updates". The Wall Street Journal. http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/11/21/surveillance-company-says-it-sent-fake-itunes-flash-updates-documents-show/. Retrieved 2011-11-28. "Perhaps the most extensive marketing materials came from Gamma’s FinFisher brand, which says it works by “sending fake software updates for popular software,” from Apple, Adobe and others. The FinFisher documentation included brochures in several languages, as well as videos touting the tools." 
  2. ^ a b c Christopher Williams (2011-11-24). "Apple iTunes flaw 'allowed government spying for 3 years'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/8912714/Apple-iTunes-flaw-allowed-government-spying-for-3-years.html. Retrieved 2011-11-28. "A British company called Gamma International marketed hacking software to governments that exploited the vulnerability via a bogus update to iTunes, Apple's media player, which is installed on more than 250 million machines worldwide." 
  3. ^ a b c Marcel Rosenbach (2011-11-22). "Firm Sought to Install Spyware Via Faked iTunes Updates". Der Spiegel. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,799259,00.html. Retrieved 2011-11-28. "Apparently, at least according to a video promoting FinFisher, the software uses Apple's popular iTunes in order to load snooping software onto the computers of the intended suspects." 
  4. ^ John Leyden (2011-09-21). "UK firm denies supplying spyware to Mubarak's secret police: RATs nest found in Egyptian spook HQ". The Register. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/21/egypt_cyber_spy_controversy/. Retrieved 2011-11-28. "Documents uncovered when the country's security service headquarters were ransacked during the Arab Spring uprising suggest that Egypt had purchased a package called FinFisher to spy on dissidents." 
  5. ^ Brian Krebs (2011-11-23). "Apple Took 3+ Years to Fix FinFisher Trojan Hole". Krebs on Security. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. http://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/11/apple-took-3-years-to-fix-finfisher-trojan-hole/. Retrieved 2011-11-28. "I first wrote about this vulnerability for The Washington Post in July 2008, after interviewing Argentinian security researcher Francisco Amato about “Evilgrade,” a devious new penetration testing tool he had developed."