Aussie Worm Rickrolls Jailbroken iPhones

**Paul Daniel Ash** · 11-08-2009, 01:00 PM

A programmer in Australia has created a worm that changes the lockscreen of infected phones to a picture of 80s singer Rick Astley. Like the recent Dutch "hack" that replaced users' wallpaper with a demand for money, this worm accesses jailbroken iPhones that are running OpenSSH and are still using the default root password.

The worm was written by someone who goes by the name of ikee. It works by scanning the IP range of the 3G network the phone is on, then the address ranges of carriers Optus, Vodafone and Telstra, until it finds a running SSH service. The worm then replaces the lockscreen with an image of Rick Astley along with the words "ikee is never going to give you up," deletes the SSH daemon, and begins scanning for another vulnerable phone. ikee noted that his own phone had infected more than a hundred other phones, and there have been suggestions, as yet unconfirmed, that the worm may have spread beyond Australia.

A blogger posted the transcript of an IRC chat with ikee, in which he explained that he wrote the worm because he "was curious to how far something like this would actually spread." He says that it "was all in good fun (well ok for me anyway)." The blogger also posted the source code of the virus.

There's no real justification for hacking somebody's phone. It's to be hoped, though, that the increasing frequency of default-password "hacks" highlights the importance of changing your root password and not running ssh when it's not needed.

image via JD's Thoughts on Everything

**Titan3636** · 11-08-2009, 01:08 PM

how do you change the root password????

**MetallicaFan1991** · 11-08-2009, 01:09 PM

I hate that Rick Roll guy

**whereswaldo** · 11-08-2009, 01:19 PM

thats why i keep sshing off, i never use it, i just use ifunbox

**bbillh77** · 11-08-2009, 01:20 PM

Prob need a password change thread

**one1** · 11-08-2009, 01:29 PM

We've known each other, for so long
You know the rules, and so do I

**dazza** · 11-08-2009, 01:32 PM

Sort of glad I can't JB now...

**badbrain88** · 11-08-2009, 01:35 PM

he did/does have a pretty soulful voice for such a pale ginge. Also, the writing on the screenshot is in Thai, does this mean it's reached there too?

**njosnavelin** · 11-08-2009, 01:46 PM

I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling..........

**ifonemaniac** · 11-08-2009, 01:53 PM

dont use open ssh ...use a usb connect program (i use iphonebrowser) so you dont have to worry about that vulnerability

**romeo_herman** · 11-08-2009, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by Titan3636

how do you change the root password????

the easy way to change the root password is
install mobile terminal from Cydia
after finish install press home button to go back to Home screen
look for mobile terminal then open
type "su" (without quote)press return
then password "alpine" (without quote)press return
now you are logging as root
type "passwd" (without quote)press return
type your new password/press return
retype your new password/press return

That's it

after the instruction try to log in then enter password "alpine"
the system will deny it.
hope it help.If help please press thanks button.

Finish change password you can uninstall mobile terminal on your phone.

Good bye hackers....

**XFaega** · 11-08-2009, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Titan3636

how do you change the root password????

If you have Cydia installed you can get instruction on the main page. You will also need Mobile Terminal. But I will just tell you. Remember this is not my work just quoting.

Open Mobile Terminal
type su root
type in default password (alpine)
type cd
type passwd
Change password to what you want also you have to re enter the password in again to verify
type passwd mobile to change the mobile password. Do the same steps as you did changing your main password.
type exit until you get to the main screen you started out at.

Good luck.

**ifonemaniac** · 11-08-2009, 02:04 PM

good reminder though... I recently restored my phone i like changing the root password just in case and i forgot..ty

**Jahooba** · 11-08-2009, 02:19 PM

Thanks for posting how to change the password.

But why are comments #11 and #12 different? Why does one say "su root" and the other one just "su"?

(I followed #11 and it worked fine)

**Rescuer** · 11-08-2009, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by A.T

I hate that Rick Roll guy

this is far better than rick rolling [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpA2tMrQ4RU]YouTube - Kitty Cat Dance[/ame]

**vantheman169** · 11-08-2009, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by romeo_herman

the easy way to change the root password is
install mobile terminal from Cydia
after finish install press home button to go back to Home screen
look for mobile terminal then open
type "su" (without quote)press return
then password "alpine" (without quote)press return
now you are logging as root
type "passwd" (without quote)press return
type your new password/press return
retype your new password/press return

That's it

after the instruction try to log in then enter password "alpine"
the system will deny it.
hope it help.If help please press thanks button.

Finish change password you can uninstall mobile terminal on your phone.

Good bye hackers....

Thanks! Usually keep my ssh off anyways but this was a preventitive measure. Thanks!!

**Benson91** · 11-08-2009, 02:29 PM

Haha this happened to me. Got rid of it easy though. Taught me a lesson to change my root password haha

**battlecrushr** · 11-08-2009, 02:43 PM

Haha lol

**rhekt** · 11-08-2009, 02:52 PM

install: mobile terminal
enter: mobile terminal

type: su
press: enter

type: alpine
press: enter

type: passwd
press: enter

type: any password of your choosing [not this sentence of course

]
press: enter

re-type: the new password you chose
press: enter

type: killall Terminal
press: enter

[make certain you capitalize the " T " in Terminal and space the two words apart]

your all done!

**zoolander369** · 11-08-2009, 02:53 PM

LMAO at the pic of Rick Astley

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