© 2024 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
The Flaw in Apple's New Operating System You Need to Know About Before Downloading

The Flaw in Apple's New Operating System You Need to Know About Before Downloading

Could put emails, photos and more info at risk.

Tech experts have had relatively good things to say about Apple's new operating system, but a soldier found a flaw that could make iOS7 users' content vulnerable to hackers.

Sharing his info about the security bug with Forbes, Jose Rodriguez, who is living Spain's Canary Islands, found that swiping his finger in a certain way from the "home" button on the locked screen could bring him to the "control center." This is a problem should your phone get into the wrong hands, because, as Forbes' Andy Green said, it gives access to photos, email, Twitter and other applications.

Watch how Rodriquez gets into the phone or iPad when its screen is locked:

Green and Rodriguez found the physical hack worked on the older iPhone 5 and iPad. Green wasn't sure if it worked on the new 5S and 5C, which Apple fans lined up in mass to receive Friday.

Green did, however, get a statement from Apple saying they were aware of the problem and were preparing a fix in a future update. In the meantime, Green reported this solution users can take themselves:

 A reader points out that anyone hoping to avoid this vulnerability until Apple issues a fix can prevent control center from appearing on their lockscreen by accessing “settings,” then “control center.” Some users are also reporting the trick isn’t working on their phones and tablets, though it may just take a little finesse to figure out the timing.

Rodriguez told Forbes he finds locked screen bugs in Apple's system in his free time -- locating them in past operating systems as well. But he expects this to be his last as his job will require more of his focus.

Overall, the feedback about the operating system from experts has been positive.

"The new mobile operating system is a big visual change, and is likely to feel somewhat disorienting to users upgrading from iOS 6, but in most important ways, it's not that dissimilar from what you're used to, and many of the changes are definitely for the best," TechCrunch's Darrell Etherington said.

ios7 Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces iOS7 mobile operating device at a keynote address during the 2013 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone Center on June 10, 2013 in San Francisco. Users were able to begin downloading iOS7 just this week. (Getty Images/Kim White)

"It's not just about the flat design. The first time I laid hands on the new operating system, I felt like I had a new phone, one that looked prettier and, more importantly, felt more useful," Adam Clark Estes with Gizmodo said.

Although Wired's Matt Honan called it a "substantial change," especially to the look, he doesn't think it goes "go far enough functionally."

The Associated Press contributed to this report

--

[related]

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?