The recently released iOS 10 public beta 1 as well as the most recent build of the developer beta feature a bug that allows users to send messages via iMessage, Twitter and many other apps right from the lock screen without ever having to enter any sort of authentication credentials beforehand. The bug, while unlikely to result in any meaningful breach of security, could potentially allow people to send mischievous messages on a user’s behalf.
The issue arises thanks to Apple’s inclusion of improved Quick Reply features within iOS 10. In the current betas, users who receive messages in iMessage or any other app that supports such replies are able to instantly reply to those messages right from the lock screen via a 3D Touch or swipe gesture, which then opens a Quick Reply screen for typing into.
In its current form, iOS then allows users to enter text and hit the Send button without first authenticating them, even when the Reply with Message option (under Settings > Touch ID & Passcode) is disabled, potentially leading to issues for the owner of that device.
At least in the current betas, and in our testing, it appears that this bug does not make a user’s Camera Roll available during the Quick Reply process, meaning photos and videos are still safe and sound behind a PIN, Touch ID fingerprint or password. If this were not the case, a more serious breach of security would be at hand.
It is, of course, very important to remember that iOS 10 is still in the early days of its beta program, and this should not be held up as an example of poor craftsmanship on the part of Apple. While we would perhaps have hoped Apple would have picked up on this – perhaps it has and hasn’t deemed it worthy of a fix just yet – there are surely more important things to work on with this release.
If you have iOS 10 installed and are concerned, the best thing to do is downgrade iOS 10 beta to iOS 9.x on your device. Life on the bleeding edge of iOS betas can be a bumpy one at times, and while iOS 10 has so far proven surprisingly stable in these early releases, bugs such as this should be expected.
(via: 9to5Mac)
You may also like to check out:
- Jailbreak iOS 9.3.2 / iOS 9.3.3 Status Update [Latest]
- Download iOS 10 Beta 2 & Install On iPhone 6s, 6, Plus, SE, 5s, 5c, 5, iPad, iPod [Tutorial]
- Apple ID Locked Error Plagues Some iOS 10 Beta 2 Users
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