iPhone lock screen hack prompts another Apple patch

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 15 Feb 2013 at 09:32

Apple is once again promising to patch iOS 6.1 - this time to address a serious security flaw that allows thieves to bypass the iPhone's lock screen.

Earlier this week Apple released iOS 6.1.1 to address a flaw that left iPhone 4S users struggling to connect to 3G networks after the upgrade to iOS 6.1. Apple has also promised a further iOS 6.1 patch to fix a problem that sees the phone repeatedly pinging Exchange servers, draining the device's battery.

Now another more serious bug has emerged, which allows phone thieves to bypass the lock screen on the iPhone 5 without entering the correct PIN code. The rather convoluted method involves making, and then quickly terminating, an emergency phone call, before holding down the power button twice. The hack could give thieves access to a user's contacts, voicemail and phone call history.

A YouTube video demonstrating the attack is shown below:

An Apple spokesperson told All Things Digital that the company "takes user security very seriously" and that it "will deliver a fix in a future software update".