iphone 6 being remotely controlled?

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Level 1

5 points

iphone 6 being remotely controlled?

Hi,

I have worked in tech for years, so I have some experience with IT/networks/security. Not really mac, but still, my google-foo is usually pretty strong.

In this case, I am stumped.

My iphone 6 was acting up about a week ago, Specifically, I would do something in an app, and 3 other things would happen, like the phone was haunted.

So I figured it was some water or dirt in my case. I removed the case and same thing.

So I searched for an answer. Everyone says a phone cannot be controlled unless someone had physical access to it. This is extremely unlikely as it is always in my pocket or my hand or beside me.

Then I see that people think it could be the power cable. I tried with other/no power cable, and same results.

This doesn't ever happen on my home wireless, only with cellular.

Tonight I pulled up my browser in the store to look something up, and watched the hacker type in my browser, then go to private browsing, then try to go to amazon.

Very freaky. I changed my icloud password, with cellular off, and same thing was happening next day.

So is my only option factory reset? New icloud account? Will that do it?

Thanks

iPhone 6

Posted on Nov 23, 2015 8:42 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 22, 2017 5:30 AM in response to thebighere

Hello, I live in Switzerland and had a similar experience 3 days ago.

I'm à it developper.

I was at my work listening to music when I noticed that the song I was listening to kept playing for like for 5 seconds then started again. When I watched my phone, I saw the music app going trough all the tabs (browse, library etc.)

I kept watching because I was intrigued. Then it opened the web browser and typed '?'

The the popup asking for my fingerprint appeared. I waited again but it stopped behaving strangely. When I closed the popup it went to my WhatsApp and called one of my contacts. Then I tried to shutdown my phone. It prevented me three times to shut it down. when I finally shut down my phone, I went to appleid and changed my pass. Then I called apple support. They have been nice and told me to activate the two factor authentication which I did, but couldn't really provide an answer.

I have an iPhone 5s on iOS 10.3.1 I was on 3G with only my headphones plugged in. The phone is not jailbreaked.

If someone knows how it's been done I would like to discuss with him. I am really curious and interested.

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Answer 2

Apr 22, 2017 9:31 AM in response to KiltedTim

How can you be so sure about that? It hasn't happened again, everything works normal since then.

If it's some kind of hardware or a software problem, it should have followed a kind of pattern, which it didn't. And it should keep doing it now, which it doesn't.

For me, what happened was someone controlling my phone. Am I sure about that? Nop. But following the behavior I observed it's seems more logical than an hardware or software failure. Again, i might be wrong.

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Answer 3

KiltedTim

Level 10

227,418 points

Apr 22, 2017 9:40 AM in response to Kenshinsanosuke

Kenshinsanosuke wrote:

For me, what happened was someone controlling my phone. Am I sure about that? Nop. But following the behavior I observed it's seems more logical than an hardware or software failure. Again, i might be wrong.

Trust me. You're wrong. There are no viruses in the wild that can affect an iOS device that is not jailbroken at all, much less allow someone to control your phone.

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Answer 4

Apr 22, 2017 9:46 AM in response to Kenshinsanosuke

Kenshinsanosuke wrote:

If it's some kind of hardware or a software problem, it should have followed a kind of pattern, which it didn't. And it should keep doing it now, which it doesn't.

Failing touch screens, the most likely explanation, do not exhibit any pattern other than random activation of the touch screen.

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Answer 5

thebighere Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 22, 2017 6:51 PM in response to Kenshinsanosuke

Kenshinsanosuke,

I am also a developer, and have been troubleshooting various hardware, software and network issues for 20 years.

I am so with you on this, I think this virus just hasn't been caught or identified.

There are always skeptics with a paradigm shift,but I am not well-versed in security, and can't say for certain.

I haven't replaced my touchscreen and havent had this issue for months. I changed all my passwords, changed my apple account, but I still dont know the cause.

Does your issue continue to happen when you turn off all connectivity?

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Answer 6

Apr 23, 2017 9:41 AM in response to Kenshinsanosuke

Kenshinsanosuke wrote:

Hasn't happened since I changed my password. If it happens again, I'll try to ask someone to film it.

And we'll see that you've got a failing touch screen. Make an appointment at the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store. Also, be sure to back up the phone before it becomes unusable.

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Answer 7

sberman

Level 10

273,228 points

Nov 23, 2015 9:19 PM in response to thebighere

Has your iPhone ever been jailbroken or otherwise hacked? Has it run beta software?

Unauthorized modification of iOS can cause security vulnerabilities, instability, shortened battery life, and other issu…

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Answer 8

thebighere Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 24, 2015 7:11 AM in response to sberman

No jailbreaking, I should have said that.

No beta that I know of, I don't have a ton of apps, and all only from the app store.

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Answer 9

Nov 24, 2015 7:21 AM in response to thebighere

The possibility of being hacked is so remote it might as well be impossible..Also what kind of hacker would simply alert the target of their presence by accessing websites in clear view? What purpose would it have served to access Amazon in plain view?

It sounds like an issue with the touch screen digitizer. Issues like this cause the screen to produce input randomly. It just so happens that the issue is generating actions that look like someone is controlling it.

Its fairly common occurrence.

If you have not done so, try resetting the iPhone by holding down the home and power/sleep buttons for 10 to 15 seconds or until the Apple logo shows up.

Let the iPhone reboot and test.

If it continues to happen, you might want to take it into an Apple Store for a diagnostic. If its still under warranty, they will repair or replace it for free.

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Answer 10

thebighere Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 24, 2015 7:24 AM in response to Phil0124

Thanks, I will do that.

I'd much rather it be something hardware.

What makes me doubt that is that when I turned off the cellular, the browser acted normal again immediately.

Also, when I am on my home wifi, the wierdness never happens.

That's what makes me doubt a hardware issue,unless it is somehow triggered by cellular, which doesn't make logical sense to me.

But I'm not an iphone tech.

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Answer 11

KiltedTim

Level 10

227,418 points

Nov 24, 2015 7:42 AM in response to thebighere

What you describe is a symptom of a failing touch-screen.

Please clarify "removed the case". If you mean you took off whatever 3rd party case you had the phone in, make an appointment at the genius bar and have the phone checked.

If you mean you physically opened the casing on the phone itself, go buy a new phone. Apple won't touch that one now.

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Answer 12

thebighere Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 24, 2015 8:20 AM in response to KiltedTim

I mean a third-party outer shell.

I will make an appointment, but to me, hardware failing would be intermittent, not something that stops immediately after I turn off cellular and does not repeat again until I turn on cellular the next day.

You know what I mean?

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Answer 13

Nov 24, 2015 8:22 AM in response to thebighere

If there was any moisture, the cellular antenna may be interfering with the screen now due to a possible short. If the reboot does not help, I would take it to an Apple store to get checked out.

10 to 1, its a hardware issue.

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