Apple is hurrying to deliver a fix for latest iMessage bug

By

iphone
Look for iOS 11.2.6 soon!
Photo: Apple

Apple knows that it has a problem with the newly discovered iOS bug which blocks access to messaging apps — and it promises you won’t have to wait until iOS 11.3 for a solution.

According to Apple, although the beta version of iOS 11.3 fixes the issue, it is planning to release an update prior to this that will address the problem. In other words, watch out for an iOS 11.2.6 very, very soon. (We’re guessing that a few Cupertino engineers are suddenly cancelling their weekend plans!)

Apple’s latest bug crashes iMessages

The latest iOS bug was discovered late this week. It allows a text message containing a single character in the Indian language character set of Telegu to crash iPhones, as well as blocking access to the Messages, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Outlook for iOS and Gmail iOS apps.

Although this problem can be reversed, it is not easy to do so, since it involves deleting the offending message or message thread — which may involve getting a friend to do so from their device.

A string of problems

As we noted when we first reported this problem, it’s just the latest in a disastrous series of software and security issues Apple has run into. These have ranged from annoying bugs such as one which prevented users from typing the letter “i” to more serious flaws like the one that let anyone circumvent the security of a Mac and log in without the correct password.

This isn’t the first time that a string of code sent in the form of a message has wreaked havoc for users. In 2015, Apple confirmed the existence of a so-called “Unicode of Death” security exploit in iMessages. The unicode problem involved a string of Arabic characters, which crashed iPhones by overloading your iPhone’s memory.

Hopefully Apple will get this latest problem sorted out very soon. It’s worth downloading Apple’s next software update as soon as it’s available.

Source: The Verge

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.