Technology

Your iPad 2 Smart Cover Has a Major Security Flaw

Yesterday, The Blaze revealed that you could bypass a password-protected iPhone and still use Siri — the voice-activated digital assistant — to perform common function. Now, it looks as if iPad 2 has its own password-related security flaw.

iPad 2 Security Flaw: Smart Cover

9 to 5 Mac (via Business Insider) reports that the flaw resides in the product’s “Smart Cover.” A Smart Cover is the colorful, magnetic cover that livens up your iPad, protects it and gives its “stand” functionality. When you think you’ve locked your iPad 2 or put it to sleep and closed the cover, you’ve really just opened the door for your password to be bypassed the next time the cover is opened. Any application you leave open before iPad goes into sleep mode — iMessage, Contacts, browsers, etc. — can be viewed now without a password.

iPad 2 Security Flaw: Smart Cover

Smart Cover magnetically snaps onto iPad, but it also let's password's be bypassed in iPads using iOS 5.

Watch how it works:

9 to 5 Mac notes that if someone were to use this technique to enter your iPad, they would not have fully access to all your content, but anything you left open when it went into lock mode would be fair game.

You can temporarily prevent this from happening, according to 9 to 5 Mac, by disabling the Smart Cover unlocking setting.

For now, the issue only seems to occur with iOS 5, but 9 to 5 Mac does say they’ve received reports of it happening with iOS 4.3

Comments (27)

  • JerryNic
    Posted on October 24, 2011 at 4:47pm

    I might add an illiterate idiot (you’re, not your and there’s not theres). So many people have lost the use of the language…or never had it.

    Report Post » JerryNic  
    • haydendhearn
      Posted on November 1, 2011 at 12:37pm

      Stop being a grammernazi these people are working hard to get you news as fast as possible and they dont neccicarily have timetomazke it perfect…get over it.

      Report Post »  
  • sodacrackers
    Posted on October 24, 2011 at 11:00am

    Call me crazy, but don’t magnets harm electronics? Why would use a magnetic cover?

    Report Post »  
    • IAMMADDOG
      Posted on October 24, 2011 at 3:22pm

      Magnets don’t harm electronics….rather they erase tapes and possibly hard drives (not sure about hard drives). There are magnets in speakers.

      Report Post »  
  • hazmat2010
    Posted on October 23, 2011 at 1:08pm

    JIMINHOUSTON — hahahaha!

    Report Post »  
  • Ramcharger
    Posted on October 23, 2011 at 11:28am

    My – why the hate? You must have spent a lot of money buying so many apple products before your enlightenment! If you do‘nt like it don’t buy it. I dropped my 20+ years of PC platforms for apple because I like using it more than trouble shooting and updating PCs. Apple is a stable platform.

    Report Post » Ramcharger  
  • Quiata
    Posted on October 23, 2011 at 6:48am

    From the story: “Smart Cover magnetically snaps onto iPad, but it also let‘s password’s be bypassed in iPads using iOS 5.”

    Who wrote that??? Besides the crummy sentence structure (e.g. “….be bypassed” ???), what’s up with the “let’s“ and ”password’s”??? THAT IS NOT PLURAL FORM FOR EITHER OF THOSE WORDS. Sorry for the yelling, not enough coffee yet, and tired of the garbage passing as written English these days.

    Report Post »  
  • holy ghostbuster
    Posted on October 22, 2011 at 2:34pm

    You are an idiot.

    Report Post » holy ghostbuster  
  • Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
    Posted on October 22, 2011 at 12:18pm

    Wouldn’t work with a fully Linux-based device running X. The xscreensaver has prevented this privilege leak for as long as I’ve used it, 20+ years. Android only uses the Linux kernel. The rest of its software stack is Google’s. Hence, Android cannot take advantage of the xscreensaver.

    Report Post » Lesbian Packing Hollow Points  
  • Shiroi Raion
    Posted on October 22, 2011 at 11:08am

    No problems here. My family doesn’t own an iAnything.

    Report Post » Shiroi Raion  
    • Jim in Houston
      Posted on October 22, 2011 at 1:47pm

      My friend just ordered one of these:
      Apple Computer announced today that it has developed
      a computer chip that can store and play high fidelity
      music in women’s breast implants.

      The iTit
      will cost between $499.00 and $699.00
      depending on speaker size.

      This is considered to be a major breakthrough because
      women have always complained about men staring
      at their **** and not listening to them.

      Report Post »  
  • Ialmostforgot
    Posted on October 22, 2011 at 9:18am

    It sounds like someone just doesn’t know how to use their product.
    If you open the safe at the bank and then leave the bank, someone will go in and steal whats in it!!

    Report Post »  
    • Sheepdog911
      Posted on October 22, 2011 at 11:17am

      First rule of tech product usage … most everyone who will use it, does not know how to use it properly. Fool-proof is an oxymoron.

      Report Post » Sheepdog911  
    • Uncle Dave
      Posted on October 24, 2011 at 4:28pm

      As soon as you make something “idiot proof” along come better idiots …

      Report Post » Uncle Dave  
  • ObserverOnTheHill
    Posted on October 22, 2011 at 8:54am

    Everyone should be aware that the government is aware of everything done on any computers that are connected to the internet. So when one types things such as this they need to be aware that Big Bro knows.

    Report Post »  
  • dave88
    Posted on October 22, 2011 at 8:05am

    Who would buy a smart cover for a dumb product?

    Report Post »  
    • mattva1981
      Posted on October 22, 2011 at 8:27am

      Why is the iPad a dumb product? I understand preference, and myself, I prefer Apple. However, I do not think Android or Microsoft is dumb. I suppose some people, especially “older” folks, are not into tech products. I am 30 years old and have loved electronics as far back as I can remember into the 1980′s.

      Report Post » mattva1981  
  • Lone Ranger
    Posted on October 22, 2011 at 6:10am

    To THINK that someone could see how I’m doing in solitaire just shakes me to my core!

    Report Post » Lone Ranger  
    • pHredster
      Posted on October 22, 2011 at 8:35am

      Oh…the horror! (Too funny…well done!)

      Report Post » pHredster  
    • Okieflyover
      Posted on October 22, 2011 at 9:50am

      I am also in fear of revealing what level of Angry Birds I am stuck on.

      Report Post »  
  • poverty.sucks
    Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:46pm

    The Obama Administration has a major Security Flaw.

    Report Post » poverty.sucks  
  • TJexcite
    Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:38pm

    It is not a flaw it is working as intended. If someone gets a hold or your ipad/iphone seeing what apps you have, seeing what you are doing when you left it with out exiting it right, sending a mail, or changing your calender is the last of your worries. How about never seeing the ipad again. Even with the this “flaw” without the code it is still to someone else nothing but a brick. Until they wipe it clean, if they could even do that.

    Something is not right with people who have personal information on a ipad and then not have it attacked to their arm at all times so others people don’t steal it.

    Report Post » TJexcite  
  • Odin64
    Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:22pm

    Neat

    Report Post » Odin64  

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