Holmdel High School Student
Helps Apple Fix Security Issue
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16 OCTOBER 2020 | TheJournalNJ.com
998 Holmdel Rd
Holmdel, NJ
BY SHANNA O’MARA
When users experience an error on their smartphone or tablet, they
website. On an iPhone, for example, a glitch may disrupt service,
prompting someone to visit Apple’s site in search of a solution. At the bottom
of Apple’s support page is a list of those who contributed to improving
products and facilitating their use, and among the names of coding
experts and tech professionals is a line which stands out: “We would like
to acknowledge Giyas Umarov of Holmdel High School for their assistance.”
Umarov appears as the only name listed with a high school, as many
-
omore at Holmdel High School and simply said he “has an interest” in technology.
While using an Apple product one day, he noticed an issue with the
App Store security system.
“Anyone who had physical access to an iPhone/iPad/iPod could have
used a QR code to cause any amount of pop-ups that ask whether or not to
install some software or app of the person’s choice to come up upon unlocking
the device,” Umarov said. “This could have been used to cause a denial
of service, which means the user that unlocks the device wouldn’t be able
to fully use it until the pop-up or
pop-ups go away. It could’ve also
been used to distribute possibly harmful
software or messages, since the person that
does it can control what software and its title is to be used (by the QR
code), though the person that unlocks it would have to tap ‘install’
on the pop-up in order for the software to be installed.”
Users could be deceived by a legitimate-looking pop-up,
prompting them to install what they think is an update from Apple.
Alternatively, the message could multiply, forcing the person to click
“install” just to rid their screen of the chaos. Umarov realized this
danger and contacted Apple to prevent future issues.
“I just told them that they could make it so that a software
install pop-up cannot be shown more than once or by only allowing
the scanning of QR codes when the device is unlocked,” he said.
Months passed before Umarov heard back from a representative
about his report. The issue was under investigation and ultimately
resolved. To thank the 15-year-old for his contribution, Apple
posted his name and school to its website.
Umarov is a member of the Holmdel High School Technology
Student Association. In his free time, he said he enjoys reading
about the C programming language which can be used to develop
software. He also enjoys watching YouTube videos, playing tennis
and practicing Taekwondo. He is a volunteer at the Monmouth Medical
Center and a member of the Lincroft Music Band.
Giyas Umarov
/www.BarbaraAlvarez.com
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