How to check if iPhone 6 is jailbroken and reveal malicious apps?

Question

Level 1

9 points

How to check if iPhone 6 is jailbroken and reveal malicious apps?

My friend's iPhone 6 seems to have been compromised and I would like to know how I can be sure. I connected her phone to iTunes and checked for installed apps, but they were all harmless. Previously the same guy "hacked" my mom's iPhone 5 and I found TeamViewer and other apps that can be used for spying on her iPhone 5; however, I couldn't find Cydia so I need another sure way to determine if an iPhone 6 is jailbroken. I already updated her iOS, but still need to find out.

The guy seemed to have read her Messenger and BBM conversations. I scanned her PC (basic scan with MalwareBytes), but there was nothing, so he's probably been monitoring her phone's screen just like he did with my mom's a long time ago. I don't think he has her password because I never saw her log in at suspicious times (times where she usually doesn't log in). I also checked her facebook log-in history and nothing seemed suspicious, but I presume you can delete activities from your log-in log.

Summary of my question:

1- What is a sure way to determine if an iPhone 6 is jailbroken?

2- Is there a chance that the jailbreak is hanging around even after updating the iOS?

3- How can I reveal possibly hidden apps on iPhone 6 (jailbroken or not)? Particularly apps like TeamViewer on a jailbroken iPhone 6?

4- Is there another external way of intercepting Messenger and BBM messages? For example, by monitoring her net traffic? I'm basically asking if BBM and Messenger packets are encrypted.

Thanks in advance

iPhone 6

Posted on Apr 29, 2015 12:26 AM

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Answer 1

D.Cohen

Level 6

8,618 points

Apr 29, 2015 12:45 AM in response to Velator

You may find this thread helpful: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5740811.

To make sure your device is not compromised, you can restore it using these steps. Note, this will erase all the data from the device.

Turn your device off, then plug it to your computer with the home button pressed. You will need to have iTunes installed on this computer. Keep the Home button pressed until you see the iTunes logo on the screen of your iPhone. After that on your computer you should see the iTunes window saying your iPhone needs to be restored to factory settings. Click on the restore button.

TeamViewer can be used only when it's launched and running. If you restore your device, everything should be OK.

As to the security of BBM and Messenger, take a look at these articles:

http://www.cnet.com/news/how-safe-is-instant-messaging-a-security-and-privacy-su rvey/

http://encryptedmobile.com/is-bbm-secure-article/

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Answer 2

Velator Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 29, 2015 12:50 AM in response to D.Cohen

Thanks, but I know how to restore her iPhone. What I need to be sure is whether her phone is compromised; not that her phone is not compromised. I need to find out how that guy read her conversations. I want to know if there's a way to show all apps installed, including possibly hidden ones.

Edit: and the first article is from 2008 and about Facebook Chat, which I presume was replaced with Messenger.

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Answer 3

Apr 29, 2015 3:08 AM in response to Velator

Velator wrote:

Summary of my question:

1- What is a sure way to determine if an iPhone 6 is jailbroken?

2- Is there a chance that the jailbreak is hanging around even after updating the iOS?

3- How can I reveal possibly hidden apps on iPhone 6 (jailbroken or not)? Particularly apps like TeamViewer on a jailbroken iPhone 6?

4- Is there another external way of intercepting Messenger and BBM messages? For example, by monitoring her net traffic? I'm basically asking if BBM and Messenger packets are encrypted.

If you can't find Cydia, the phone is probably not jailbroken. Updating iOS, depending on whether or not it's a major update, might not remove the jailbreak. However, as noted above, the best way to be sure that anything that can be removed is removed is to restore the device as new. If there's a question, I suggest your friend do that immediately.

If your friend's Apple ID has been compromised, someone who has it could possibly be seeing their iMessages as well as pictures, contacts, calendars. I suspect it's pretty close to impossible to have access to her BBM.

In my opinion, if your friend is concerned that her information has been compromised, they should restore the phone as new, make sure that any apps they add back to the phone come from the App Store an only the App Store. They should change their Apple ID password, their email password and the passwords for any other accounts that have been used on the phone. They should consider using a VPN when accessing any open hotspots.

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