File sharing apps for iOS mobile devices could present a security risk, a researcher from Trustwave told eWEEK.

Bruno Goncalves de Oliveira, senior security consultant for the software maker, identified risks with a number of apps used by iPhone and iPad users to share content, such as documents and pictures – although specific titles were not named.

These types of software essentially open up devices to accept inbound connections from other users to access content. They therefore include web server components which are often not secured, according to Oliveira.

The apps studied also lacked encryption and user authentication, or had them disabled by default. The lack of authentication means anyone who finds a device that is connected to a network can access data on file sharing apps.

Oliveira also found it relatively easy to find which iOS devices on a network were running file sharing apps due to the multicast DNS used by iOS devices to broadcast which ports are open on a device.

Consumers are recommended to avoid downloading apps from unknown developers, while enterprise organisations should use mobile device management technology to limit the risk of data leakage.