

Under the control of a format string that specifies how subsequent The functions in the printf() family produce output according toĪ format parameter. Int snprintf(char *str, size_t size, const char *format. Int sprintf(char *str, const char *format. Int fprintf(FILE *file, const char *format.
#WIFI HACKER FOR IPHONE CODE#
In practice, programmers may not actually call the printf() function directly, but frequently write code that ends up calling either printf() itself or a related system function that works in the same way. The name format string vulnerability comes from a standard, widely-used system function, found in almost every operating system, known as printf(), shorthand for format and print data.


This sort of vulnerability is considered somewhat old-school these days, but as we have had good reason to say many times on Naked Security, “never assume anything” in the world of cybersecurity, and it seems that Schou followed this advice, and unexpectedly unearthed up a genuine bug. Schou set up a Wi-Fi access point with a network name (ESSID) of %p%s%s%s%s%n, and then deliberately connected his iPhone to it in order to check for what are known as format string vulnerabilities. …and trying out a range of potentially risky values in the Wi-Fi settings on his iPhone. Neither rebooting nor changing SSID fixes it :~) /2eue90JFu3Ĭarl Schou, founder of an informal hacker collective known as Secret Club, “created originally as a gag between friends who are passionate about technical subjects”, seems to have been doing what bug-hunters do… About a month ago, a security researcher revealed what turned out to be zero-day bug in Apple’s Wi-Fi software, apparently without meaning to:Īfter joining my personal WiFi with the SSID “%p%s%s%s%s%n”, my iPhone permanently disabled it’s WiFi functionality.
