Apple"s iPhone has two design flaws that could pose potential security problems, according to a researcher. The first one concerns the iPhone"s e-mail application, which automatically downloads images within an e-mail, said Aviv Raff, a security researcher, on Thursday.
That"s problematic because the image will refer back to a server-side script when it is downloaded, indicating to the sender that the e-mail has been opened and the e-mail address is valid. The address can then be spammed. E-mail applications usually are configured to block images from untrusted sources to prevent the problem, Raff said. He suggests that users avoid using the e-mail application or be careful when clicking on links in an e-mail that comes from an untrusted source.