Apple confirms iMessage bug is crashing iPhones

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Unicode of Death 2015
Evan likes to send malicious Unicode to co-workers.
Screen: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Apple has confirmed the existence of the “Unicode of Death” security exploit in iMessages.

“We are aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update,” an Apple rep said today in an e-mail to Reuters.

The bug begins with a string of Arabic characters, added to dupe credulous iMessage recipients into thinking they’re targeted by Middle Eastern terrorist groups, but the actual vector of harm comes from some Unicode at the end of the message, which can overload your iPhone’s memory.

Some potential solutions include turning off text previews on your iPhone, sending pictures back to the person who sent you the message in the first place, and even keeping iMessages out of Notification Center. Here’s the full list of potential fixes and safety precautions.

Source: Reuters

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