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Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

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Re: Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

#12
post #2

I wonder how many other apps on Apple's "guaranteed-safe" App Store have hidden behavior like this? Since I can't actually audit the app code that runs on my device (like by compiling it myself), nor can I audit the OS, I guess I now have to assume that any application on my iPhone is compromised. (+) Apple should include a warning on the box to that effect. (+) I don't actually own an iPhone.

Apps are sandboxed. They can send and receive data over http/https at will. Location sharing is much more audited in iOS 4. Your calendar data and some address book data is not well protected. Your pictures are only accessible through the camera roll UI; apps can't slurp them.

Re: Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

#15
iPhone tethering is allowed on my carrier, but I got the app anyway because setting up an ad-hoc WiFi network will allow me to tether my iPhone to my iPad, as well as the fact that bluetooth tethering between Mac iPhone is flaky as hell. Will be interesting to see if Apple kills it, and if they go as far as to kill it outside of the US where tethering is allowed anyway.

Re: Handy Light: Tethering App Camouflaged as Flashlight

#18
post #14

SOCKS proxy isn't really "tethering".

True, but if you are on OS X, most of the apps will use the System Preferences proxy settings, so most of your apps will Just Work.

Of course, you'll have to get tricky to use SSH via the SOCKS proxy, but it can be done.

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