The iOS trojan Wirelurker also appears to be able to target iPhones and iPads via Windows machines. Previously, researchers only found a variant for OS X. The malware only works under Windows if a device has been cracked.
Moreover, the malware does not always work; the two devices that the Palo Alto Networks researchers used to test the malware failed. Wirelurker is a trojan that presents itself to users as an installer for cracked iOS applications. When the user installs the app installs, the trojan adds iOS malware.
The researchers found the Windows version of Wirelurker on a server of Baidu’s web storage in China. Users have downloaded the files on the server a total of about 65,000 times. Under Windows, the trojan first asks the user to install iTunes. Then the trojan indicates that it is waiting for an iPhone or iPad to be connected.
In addition to targeting the 32-bit architecture, the malware is the first to target the ARMv8 architecture, according to the researchers, whose processors are based in the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 series and recent iPads. It is unknown how many users are infected. The researchers published information about the Mac version of Wirelurker earlier this week.