Security expert converts popular music/movie player and browsing device into a penetration testing, hacking tool

Aug 05, 2009 | 03:02 PM
By Kelly Jackson Higgins
DarkReading

It fits behind a coffee machine, inside a desk drawer, or in your pocket, and it doesn't arouse suspicion if you walk into a bank or office tapping away on it -- and that's why a security expert has turned an iPod Touch into a full-blown hacking tool.

Thomas Wilhelm, associate professor of information system security at Colorado Technical University, showed attendees at last week's Defcon17 conference in Las Vegas how Apple's seemingly benign iPod Touch can be converted into a portable and stealthy penetration testing or attack tool. He outfitted the iPhone cousin with the popular Metasploit software for exploiting vulnerabilities, as well as password-cracking and Web app hacking applications he was able to easily download onto the device.  [Comments...]