Trust Wallet Asks Users to Disable iMessages: Details

Trust Wallet, a crypto wallet provider, has issued a warning to Apple users, urging them to disable iMessage due to a purported zero-day exploit that poses a significant risk to iPhone users. 

The company posted an alert on X at 7:53 p.m. UTC on April 16, stating that it had received credible intelligence regarding a high-risk zero-day exploit targeting iMessage on the Dark Web. 

Trust Wallet Warns of a Zero-Day Exploit

According to Trust Wallet, this zero-day exploit can potentially allow hackers to infiltrate and take control of iPhone devices without the need for the user to click on any links. The firm emphasized that users with high-value accounts are particularly vulnerable to this threat.

A zero-day exploit refers to a cyberattack method that exploits a previously unknown or unpatched vulnerability in software, hardware, or firmware.

CEO Reacts, Community Questions

Trust Wallet CEO, Eowyn Chen, shared a screenshot purportedly showing a listing on the Dark Web offering the zero-day exploit for sale at a price of $2 million. However, some industry experts expressed skepticism about the legitimacy of the threat, questioning the evidence presented by Trust Wallet.

“Threat intel detected an iOS iMessage zero-day exploit for sale in the Dark Web.  It is a zero click exploit to take over control of the phone via iMessages.  Its asking price is $2M.  This would make sense for very high value individual targets, as more the zero-day is used, more likely it is caught in the wild by researchers,” Chen said.

“If this is your ‘credible intel’ it’s embarrassing. You don’t have evidence of a iOS exploit you have a screenshot of a guy claiming to have an exploit,” pseudonymous blockchain researcher Beau replied to Chen’s screenshot.

Responding to the skepticism, Trust Wallet clarified that the information came from its security team and partners, who continuously monitor for potential threats.

Trust Wallet Highlights Growing Concerns

The alert from Trust Wallet, which recently announced the launch of its Web browser extension, coincides with Apple’s recent release of emergency security updates to address two zero-day vulnerabilities in iOS that were exploited in attacks on iPhones the previous month. Additionally, security researchers at Kaspersky have previously identified instances where Apple’s iMessage application was exploited as an attack vector by hackers.

The warning from Trust Wallet highlights the growing concerns surrounding cybersecurity threats targeting mobile devices, particularly those storing valuable assets like cryptocurrencies. According to cybersecurity firm Halborn, over 280 blockchain networks are at risk of zero-day exploits, potentially putting at least $25 billion worth of crypto assets at risk.