***Edited November 25, 2020 -This issue has been resolved by Apple, the blog is here for historical purposes.***
There is an extremely serious security hole that has been discovered with the iOS Mail App used on iPhones and iPads. This attack will let an attacker take complete control of your device. The issue is in the iOS Mail App which is the default email app for Apple devices. If you are using this application for email then you need to stop reading this right now and remove the app. (Read how to delete the app here.) Download a different app for your email, like Gmail or Outlook. Once you’ve done that you can learn more about it below.
The Details
Completely removing the iOS Mail app from your phone may seem like a radical action, but it is completely justified. This flaw has existed since at least 2012 and it is being actively exploited right now.
Here is how the attck works, someone sends you an email. In iOS 12 you have to actually click the email for it to attack. The entire email doesn’t have to load for the attack to succeed. In iOS 13 this issue is even worse. If you simply have Mail open in the background (and almost everyone does), then simply RECEIVING the email executes the attack and grants someone access to your phone. This is the reason we suggest deleting the app immediately.
As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, it is almost certain that you won’t even notice that this has happened. This exploit is actively being used and there are indications that it has been in effect as early as January 2018.
We take cybersecurity very seriously at Sawyer Solutions. We want to do all we can to ensure your security and that includes your mobile devices. If you have any technology questions or concerns then please do not hesitate to reach out. You can contact us by email or call us at (844) 448-7767.