The company, Independent Security Evaluators, reported that it could get the iPhone to send text messages and other files, including email addresses and phone numbers, to a computer by tricking the iPhone user into clicking onto a malicious website.
It also said that the phones can be accessed by a wireless network controlled by a hacker, if the network had a name that was recognised by the iPhone.
On a set up by ISE, it goes into more detail about the implications of such an attack, saying that the code from the malicious website can read the log of SMS messages, the address book, the call history and the voicemail data, and send all the information to the hacker.
It adds that this could also send the user's mail passwords, send text messages to sign the users up for pay services, or even record audio that could be relayed to the attacker -- in essence turning the phone into a bugging device.The report confirms fears that as mobile phones become more like computers, they also become more vulnerable to the viruses and worms that blight the lives of PC users.
The report comes after a number of high-profile cases of celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan having their phones hacked.
The Apple iPhone website does not refer to any of the security issues at present. In its questions and answers section under the heading "what kind of security features does iPhone offer", it simply says that users can protect access to information with a four-digit password, and that it supports industry-standard wi-fi security and virtual private networking.
However, an Apple spokeswoman told The New York Times, which broke the news: "Apple takes security very seriously and has a great track record of addressing potential vulnerabilities before they can affect users.
"We're looking into the report submitted by ISE and always welcome feedback on how to improve our security."
ISE has spent a fortnight searching for flaws in the iPhone's security. Despite the findings, Aviel Rubin, the firm's founder, remains a fan of the phone, telling the New York Times "you'd have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands to get it away from me".
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