A vulnerability has been discovered in iPhone that causes the system to crash when entering a certain combination of characters. Although there is no security threat, it is reminiscent of similar incidents in the past.
iPhone Crash: Provocateur Symbols
Unexpected Vulnerability
According to TechCrunch, cybersecurity experts have identified an interesting feature: entering a four-character combination in the Spotlight search engine or application library can lead to serious problems with the iPhone.
Problem Details
The problem sequence consists of the characters "": plus any fourth character. Experts emphasize that this vulnerability does not pose a security threat and can only be activated by the device owner.
Testing and Aftermath
9to5Mac conducted experiments on various iPhone models and iOS versions. In iOS 17, entering this combination caused Springboard, the main interface of the iPhone, to crash, followed by a soft reboot. On iOS 18 and 18.1, Spotlight search briefly froze and Springboard was unable to exit gracefully.
Historical Context
This isn't the first time a text string has caused an iPhone to crash. In 2015, there was a similar incident called "Effective Power" where a certain message caused the Messages app to crash and the device to reboot.
Apple's response
At the time of publication, Apple had not provided any official comment on this issue. However, given previous experience, we can expect the company to quickly release an iOS update to fix this vulnerability.
Glossary
- iPhone is a smartphone developed by Apple Inc.
- iOS - a mobile operating system developed by Apple for its devices
- Spotlight - a built-in search system in Apple devices
- Springboard - the main interface of iOS, responsible for displaying the main screen
- Apple is an American technology company, manufacturer of electronics and software
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Answers to questions
What combination of characters can cause an iPhone to crash?
Is this glitch a security issue?
How does typing these characters affect different versions of iOS?
Have you had similar problems with text strings on iPhone before?
How does Apple respond to outages like these?
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Discussion of the topic – Dangerous 4-character code: how hackers can “kill” your iPhone
Security researchers have discovered a four-character combination that can cause a serious crash in iOS. Entering this code into Spotlight Search or the App Library may break iPhone functionality, although it does not pose a security risk to users.
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Olivia
Wow guys! Have you heard about this new iPhone bug? Four characters, and boom - the phone reboots! 🤯 Do you think Apple will fix it quickly?
Hans
Yes, Olivia, I read about it. Interestingly, this is not considered a security issue. But it’s still strange that such a small thing can cause a glitch. I hope Apple will quickly release a patch.
Sophie
I think it's reminiscent of 'Effective Power' in 2015. Remember? Then, too, one message was enough for the device to reboot. Apple then quickly reacted. I’m sure they won’t delay the correction now 👍
Carlos
But I’m wondering how seriously this can affect users? After all, it’s not every day that you enter such a combination of characters. Maybe it's just a funny glitch and nothing more? 🤔
Giuseppe
It's all nonsense. Always these iPhones with their problems. A normal phone should not freeze on some symbols. Another hype for nothing.
Anna
Giuseppe, don't be such a grump! 😄 Any technique can fail. It's good that such bugs are found and fixed. Carlos, you're right, the impact is minimal, but still an interesting case for IT specialists and gadget lovers.
Piotr
And I wonder how researchers find such bugs? You have to think of entering random characters into the search! 🕵️♂️ Does anyone have any ideas on how they do this?
Olivia
Piotr may have special programs for testing. Or just very curious people 😊 In any case, it’s good that such bugs are found before they become a real problem for users.