‘GoldDigger’ is a popular Trojan created to run on Android and steal important user data such as keys, passwords or bank accounts. And according to a detailed report Group-IBa large cyber security company This trojan just appeared on iOS and has the same purpose.

A new advanced mobile Trojan by Group-IB called GoldPickaxe.iOS, specifically targeting iOS users. The GoldPickaxe family, which includes iOS and Android versions, is based on the GoldDigger Android Trojan and has regular updates designed to improve its capabilities and evade detection.

According to reports Group-IBGoldPickaxe.iOS is designed to attack iPhone and iPad users. The company claims that This is probably the first Trojan ever made for iOSAnd it can be quite dangerous. It was designed for collect facial recognition data, ID documents and even SMS.

GoldPickaxe.iOS, according to researchers Group-IBIt has the ability to collect facial recognition data, identity documents and capture SMS.

This will be the first Trojan discovered for iPhone

All this data that GoldPickaxe.iOS collects is used by hackers. AI-based tools to create deepfakes and gain access to victims’ bank accounts. Although you know that it is difficult for this Trojan to infect your iPhone, it sounds pretty bad.

How does GoldPickaxe.iOS get on iPhone?

Considering that Apple approves all applications that can be installed on the iPhone, It’s not easy for this Trojan to get into an Apple device. The Trojan was first distributed through TestFlight, Apple’s official app that allows developers to release beta versions of their apps without going through the App Store review process.

There are very few users who know about TestFlight, and even fewer who use them and install unknown applications on their iPhones. With this method the Trojan’s reach is truly limited. Additionally, Apple discovered them and quickly removed them from TestFlight.

This Trojan is dangerous but very difficult to infect your iPhone

That’s why hackers are more sophisticated and They included the Trojan in the mobile device management profile (MDM) is primarily used to manage enterprise devices. Hackers are trying to persuade users to install this infected profile by promising to download applications from outside the App Store.

HE Group-IB He says he informed Apple about the Trojan Horseso the company is probably already working on a solution. It also specifically targeted users in Vietnam and Thailand. However, this is still a very dangerous situation and may spread as alternative app stores come to the iPhone. Removing such viruses from iPhone may force you to restore the device.