As the pandemic rages through the nation and sanitation is of utmost importance, Apple is also playing a role in sanitizing its iMessage feature. It has added a new security features in its latest operating system, which is called BlastDoor. It works as a sandbox inside iMessage. It receives all messages, sanitizes them, and then shows it to the Apple device user. This prevents malicious code that is used for spying or phishing attacks on iPhones.
Texting is one of the most popular features in any device, whether it is Android or iOS. Apple is quietly handling security issues that may arise due to black hat hackers. The BlastDoor feature works is unnoticeable in the background and secures the user’s data.
BlastDoor prevents hackers from adding troublesome or dangerous code to texts. It works passively. Apple did not announce the security feature at WWDC 2020. This was when its first version was quietly installed as a security feature.
BlastDoor works as a sandbox. It unpacks and processes all the content received in an isolated area, similar to other sandbox features present in iOS. This does not allow malicious code to attack the operating system.
Every attachment sent, all the code present, each and every single bit is sanitized inside a closed area. This includes files, text, or links. Everything is checked and when it is considered to be clean, without inherent danger of an attack, the message or link or file is presented to the user.
The BlastDoor feature was first mentioned in ZDNet. This feature was discovered by a Googler, who was part of Project Zero.
All text messages, links or files are susceptible to malicious attacks, whether Android or iOS. Now that Apple had added this security feature, others will try to copy it. Apple had quietly launched it as it did not want to give hackers information. Now that it has been discovered, not only competitors but also hackers will try to copy it or circumvent it.
