Hackers found a way to break into iPhone software and sold it online for $1 million

Hackers have found a backdoor into the software that runs on iPhones and iPads by exploiting a weakness in Safari, according to MacRumors. That vulnerability could be used by governments to spy on iPhone users.

The vulnerability has been sold by Zerodium, a place where anyone can buy software exploits, for $1 million (£650,000) to its clients, which include major technology, finance, government, and defence corporations.

Zerodium hosted a contest - with a reward of up to $3 million (£1.9 million) - for a remote, easy exploit that only required a user to open a text message or visit a webpage in Safari.

Chaouki Bekrar, the founder of Zerodium, told Wired that "[the company] plans to reveal the technical details of the technique to its customers." Bekrar also confirmed that, as the company is selling the hack, it will not reveal the details to Apple immediately.

The content was hosted to remind users that while iOS is "very hardened" to attacks, it's not impenetrable, said Bekrar.