iPhone camera & microphone dot can be suppressed if you're already hacked
Summary
Security researchers at Jamf reveal that Predator spyware can bypass iOS camera and microphone indicators, undermining user privacy. This post-compromise behavior highlights the importance of vigilance, as it does not indicate a new vulnerability in iOS.
Key Insights
Does this mean there's a new vulnerability in iOS that Apple needs to fix?
No, this is not a new vulnerability in iOS. The suppression of camera and microphone indicators occurs only after the device has been deeply compromised at the kernel level by advanced spyware like Predator, which requires prior exploitation to install.[1]
Sources:
[1]
How does Predator spyware hide the camera and microphone indicators on iPhone?
Predator injects malicious code into SpringBoard, the iOS component managing the status bar and home screen, by hooking into SBRecordingIndicatorManager methods. It intercepts sensor activity updates and nullifies them, preventing the green or orange dots from appearing while allowing normal device operation.[1][2]