Update ICloud for Windows Now to Protect Against Ransomware
Windows iTunes users: There is a serious vulnerability in Apple’s Bonjour Software Updater on Windows that could allow someone to silently install ransomware on your system.
According to Threatpost , the exploit exploits the fact that Apple programs use Bonjour, the networking software that Windows users download with iTunes. Apple has already addressed this issue with a new iCloud patch on Windows . If you are using (or have ever installed) iCloud or iTunes for Windows, you should update it as soon as possible.
Why update it even if you don’t use it? According to Morphisec , the research company that originally found the exploit, Bonjour is installed automatically when iTunes is installed, but is not automatically removed when iTunes is uninstalled. If you’ve installed iTunes and then got rid of it, chances are good that Bonjour still exists, ready to work with any compatible apps, whether you have them or not.
While Apple has already patched the vulnerability, in the long term, the problem is a big concern for iPhone / iTunes users on Windows. Apple has disabled iTunes on Mac devices. If iTunes is not in the spotlight, it could make the Windows application a more attractive target for attackers. This does not mean that these applications are insecure or insecure, it is just something worth thinking about.