Can an iPhone Get a Virus or Malware on Safari?

[ghsDUDE]

I was on Safari today and got a random pop up that was trying to get me to hit Confirm (I didn’t) but it acted like my phone was infected.

I had to restart Safari a couple times so o could quickly swipe the tab away but managed to get a screenshot. Is it possible I somehow got a virus or malware on my iPhone?

I’m running the latest version of iOS 11 but I just thought I’d ask.

Thanks!

PS - I did NOT click on anything listed in the screen as it was definitely a scam...but by that appearing could anything have happened to my iPhone? Thanks

 

[Applejuiced]

No.
That's just a pop up.

 

[eyoungren]

If you had malware on your iPhone it wouldn't just be Safari you had a problem with.

 

[Surfer13134]

Your fine,just spam.

 

[ghsDUDE]

No.
That's just a pop up.

Ok. I have an add blocker but there was literally a button that kept appearing with two options and I kept restarting Safari until I could get rid of it. After a couple restarts of Safari I was able to delete the tab.

If you had malware on your iPhone it wouldn't just be Safari you had a problem with.

Care to explain further?

I know it’s dumb but I was under the assumption iPhones couldn’t get malware until this pop up today.

Thanks

 

[Applejuiced]

You are correct.
Currently there is no malware or virus that can infect your iPhone.
Annoying pop ups and ads will still come up but they are not harmful to the software or hardware of your device.

 

[eyoungren]

Care to explain further?

I know it’s dumb but I was under the assumption iPhones couldn’t get malware until this pop up today.

Thanks

If you open a website in your browser on your computer and are presented with fake security items that try to hijack your browsing are you concerned that your computer has been taken over?

Or do you recognize that it's jerkwad coders that are trying to drive clicks to their websites?

It's the same thing on a mobile web browser.

Look at the URL in your screenshot. Does that look anything like an official Apple website to you?

And if you were infected why would this not occur in other apps?

Ergo, it's annoying, but not a virus.

 

[Shirasaki]

Yes. They can, either from safari, email message, iMessage messages, pictures, or anything possible.
The thing is, there are not wide spread viruses, malware or things like that yet. But always keep security in mind and still exercise everything from PC era to the iOS. Who knows what would happen, right?

 

[NoBoMac]

The thing is, there are not wide spread viruses, malware or things like that yet. But always keep security in mind Who knows what would happen, right?

Basically, this.

There is an old saying out there, comes in different variations, but summarized, if it's a computing device and accessible/usable, it's vulnerable.

But in this case, as others stated, spam. Even with ad blockers, some stuff will sneak through. No ad blocker is 100% effective.

 

[areyes163]

You are correct.
Currently there is no malware or virus that can infect your iPhone.
Annoying pop ups and ads will still come up but they are not harmful to the software or hardware of your device.

That's not correct. There most definitely is maleware that can infect iOS. It is rare though compared to other platforms but there definitely is maleware.

Anything can be hacked or infected.

 

[Applejuiced]

Currently there is no such malware threat to infect the newest iOS versions as far as we know.
That doesn't mean there won't be such threats in the future or there isn't something out now that hasn't been discovered yet.
I agree, nothing is unhackable.

That's not correct. There most definitely is maleware that can infect iOS. It is rare though compared to other platforms but there definitely is maleware.

Anything can be hacked or infected.

 

[Shanghaichica]

No.

 

[areyes163]

Currently there is no such malware threat to infect the newest iOS versions as far as we know.
That doesn't mean there won't be such threats in the future or there isn't something out now that hasn't been discovered yet.
I agree, nothing is unhackable.

There always is. Maybe none you know. But there is. If people can hack and ifect the U.S. government and steal secrets. Believe me iOS is not safe either. Stop living in a fantasy world. There most definitely is maleware out there. iOS is not the impenetrable fortress you seem to think it is.

 

[Jimmy James]

No, the porn site you looked at didn't infect your phone.

 

[Surfer13134]

There always is. Maybe none you know. But there is. If people can hack and ifect the U.S. government and steal secrets. Believe me iOS is not safe either. Stop living in a fantasy world. There most definitely is maleware out there. iOS is not the impenetrable fortress you seem to think it is.

So if these “Hacks” are out there why did it take the government millions of dollars to finally retrieve the information of the san bernadino shooter back in 2015? Where the only way they could get into the phone was by cloning it dozens of times and brute forcing the code?

 

[Applejuiced]

Show us if there is malware for latest iOS then.
Anyone can assume anything.
Nothing is 100% bulletproof but some are a lot better than others.
You're just making baseless assumptions.

There always is. Maybe none you know. But there is. If people can hack and ifect the U.S. government and steal secrets. Believe me iOS is not safe either. Stop living in a fantasy world. There most definitely is maleware out there. iOS is not the impenetrable fortress you seem to think it is.

 

[greentoe78]

No.
That's just a pop up.

Can anyone see it

 

[greentoe78]

Can anyone see it

Can you let me before it get to me

 

[Ries]

So if these “Hacks” are out there why did it take the government millions of dollars to finally retrieve the information of the san bernadino shooter back in 2015? Where the only way they could get into the phone was by cloning it dozens of times and brute forcing the code?

Decryption of data and getting a virus/malware are not related. Decryption of data is opening the safe, virus/malware is placing something in the open safe. The safe only opens with the key. You need to open the safe before you can view it's content. If you don't have the key, you need to retrieve it from somewhere were it is stored unsecure or guess it.