iPhone security hole reported

Apple Inc.'s iPhone may be vulnerable to hackers due to a flaw that allows them to take control of the device, according a report in the New York Times on Monday.

Researchers working for Independent Security Evaluators, a company that tests its clients' computer security by hacking it, said that they could take control of iPhones through a WiFi connection or by tricking users into going to a Web site that contains malicious code, the paper said.

They security consultants said the hack allowed them to access the personal information the phones contain.

The paper said an Apple spokeswoman said the company took security "very seriously" and that it was looking into the report submitted by Independent Security Evaluators.

The Times added that there was no evidence that this flaw had been exploited or that users had been affected.

© Reuters 2007