After the Taiwan crash and other similar glitches, another iOS text bug has surfaced online. This time, the crash results from receiving a specific Sindhi character via a iPhone message.
iOS Text Bug Causes iPhone Crash
Recently, a new iOS text bug has surfaced online that first caught the attention of iPhone enthusiast EverythingApplePro. As he observed, a simple text with a specific Sindhi character might crash an iPhone.
Here is what he shared in his tweet.
The craziest iOS crash text bug ? pic.twitter.com/29LJPb67WP
— EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) April 23, 2020
Although, his demonstration included the text with an Italian flag as well together with the Sindhi character. However, crashing a phone this way doesn’t require adding that flag. The character alone suffices to hang the iOS.
To launch an attack, an attacker simply has to send the character in any text to the target victim(s). This makes it a broad scope attack since forwarding texts to multiple users at a time, via WhatsApp, Messenger, or any other app, can target multiple users simultaneously.
As evident from the comments of users on his Twitter thread, the flaw even works through Twitter.
Damn can't view comments with Twitter crashing
— Caroline Smith (@KGirl495) April 23, 2020
Moreover, the bug can also come about upon receiving the triggering character via notifications.
Nonetheless, despite being quick and easy to spread, this attack does not have any fatal effects on the device. In fact, the users may recover from the stuck iPhone after a reboot. Yet, for the time they can’t, the bug creates a real mess.
iOS 13.4.5 or 13.4.2 will launch imminently. The crash text is wrecking havoc. It’s fairly harmless, just hard reset your devices. ?
— EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) April 23, 2020
The glitch is effective for different iOS versions, including iOS 13.3 and above. However, as confirmed later, it does not affect iOS 13.4.5 that will roll out in the coming days.
Not affecting users on 13.4.5
— EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) April 23, 2020
Patch Still Awaited
For now, Apple hasn’t patched the text bug. But we may expect them to release a fix soon. So, users need to manage their devices in a way to avoid such texts popping up on their phones. Specifically, turning off notifications of messaging and social media apps may help.
