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IPhone Security Flaw Allows Bypassing of Password

August 29th, 2008 · No Comments

Apple iPhone 3g owners, look out… there’s another flaw you need to know about!

Apple has promised to fix an iPhone security flaw that lets people bypass a password designed to protect personal information on a user’s phone.  

First discovered by MacRumors and confirmed by Gizmodo, the flaw also affects iPod Touch owners.  Specifically, users simply tap the “Emergency Call” button on the password-entry screen, and then tap the home button twice.

Doing this will allow the person to have access to a user’s favorites and a list of contacts.  Clicking on any contact’s name will reveal the person’s phone number and will have access to the phone function — i.e. clicking on the e-mail function will let the person send an e-mail to the contact.

While Apple works on an official patch to fix the issue, iPhone or Touch owners can go into the settings and change it so a double click on the home button will go back to the home screen instead of the favorites section.

The security problem doesn’t give a mischievous person full access to the phone, but attackers can still wreak havoc by copying personal information and possibly racking up costly data charges on the phone.

A similar flaw appeared last January, and Apple fixed it, but users were dismayed to see that it has reared its ugly head again.  Apple has put a stronger emphasis into trying to get the iPhone into the corporate world, but security issues like this one make it difficult for companies to want to use the iPhone.

Tags: PC News

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