A week before it is scheduled to introduce its next iPhone, Apple said in a statement that intimate photos of celebrities like Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence were leaked online through the hacking of individual iCloud accounts.
Apple quickly tried to restore confidence in its systems' security, saying the photo scandal, which also impacted swimsuit model Kate Upton, actress Kristen Dunst, and dozens more, was the result of targeted attacks on accounts storing personal information and not a direct breach of Apple systems, according to Reuters.
"We have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet," Apple said in a statement.
"None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple's systems including iCloud or Find My iPhone."
The celebrity hacking that took place over Labor Day weekend ranks among the highest-profile public scandals for Apple in recent memory.
The company's iCloud service also lets users store photos and other content and access it from any Apple device. Security in the cloud has been a big concern since being introduced, but that hasn't stopped the speedy adoption of services that offer reams of storage and management of data and content off computers and smartphones.
No matter how the hack happened, the timing couldn't be worse for Apple as it is set to host a media event on Sept. 9 where two new iPhones are expected to debut, and possible a wearable device.
"Every great innovation is convenient but also a big opportunity for the bad guys in the world," said Marc Maiffret at security firm BeyondTrust, according to Reuters.
The photos were posted on image-sharing forum 4Chan. Lawrence's representatives described the release of the photos as a "flagrant violation of privacy" and contact law enforcement authorities.
The hack, if anything, serves as a wakeup call to smartphone users. If Lawrence, the star of "The Hunger Games" movie franchise and Best Actress Academy Award Winner for "Silver Linings Playbook," can be hacked, than no one is safe.
"This feels like a brute-force attack and someone's using bad passwords," said Michael Fertik, chief executive of online image manager Reputation.com, according to Reuters. "If you must take a nude photo use a non-obvious password."
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