Apple Fixes Siri Bug Allowing Access to Photos and Contacts on Locked Device
A Siri vulnerability that allowed access to a user's photos and contacts on a locked iPhone running iOS 9.3.1 was patched server-side this afternoon by Apple.
Shared last night by Jose Rodriguez, the vulnerability used Siri's ability to access Twitter to find an email link or phone number, which could be pressed to open up an editable list of contacts even on a device that was locked. Through access to contacts, a user's full photo library was also visible.
As seen in the video below, the vulnerability relied on asking Siri to perform a Twitter search. If an email address, phone number, or other contact related detail came up, it would give direct access to Photos and Contact data. While the method worked on the iPhone 6s as of this morning, it is now disabled on all devices because it is no longer possible for Siri to conduct a Twitter search on a locked device.
When using a locked iPhone, asking Siri to "Search Twitter" now results in the personal assistant saying "You'll need to unlock your iPhone first." Without the ability to search Twitter on a locked device, there is no way to get the exploit to work. Apple confirmed the fix in a short statement given to
The Washington Post.
According to 9to5Mac, a second Siri-related bug was also fixed today. Previously it was possible to enable both Night Shift and Low Power Mode by asking Siri to enable Night Shift after Low Power Mode was turned on, but that is no longer possible. Siri now warns that turning on Night Shift requires turning off Low Power Mode.
In early iOS 9.3 betas, Night Shift did work with Low Power Mode, but in iOS 9.3 beta 4, Apple removed the functionality. Night Shift and Low Power Mode cannot be run simultaneously.
Popular Stories
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass.
The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
Apple is "drastically" cutting production of the iPhone Air and shifting focus toward the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, Nikkei Asia reports.
The business publication claims to have learned of a major cut to iPhone Air production motivated by weaker-than-expected consumer interest, nearly to "end of production levels." Despite early reports of the iPhone Air selling out within hours of...
Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral because his name is similar to Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he detailed that period in his life, how Apple responded, and he explained why he ultimately changed his name.
Someone posted an image of Sung's Apple business card on Reddit in 2012, and it spread rapidly....
General Motors began phasing out support for CarPlay in its electric vehicles back in 2023, leading to complaints from iPhone users, but the company has no plans to back down.
In fact, GM is going further and plans to remove CarPlay from all future gas vehicles, too. In an interview with The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the company opted to prioritize its platform for EVs, but the...
Apple plans to launch a new type of iPhone every year for the foreseeable future, according to an Asia-based source.
The detailed information was shared by the account "yeux1122" in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver, citing domestic trend and component research companies.
Corroborating other reports, Apple will apparently launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a...
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps.
More features and changes will follow in future ...
Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below.
Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle
Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness,...
Kohler is expanding its line of bathroom products with Dekoda, an iPhone-connected device that's designed to be attached to a toilet rim (via The Verge). The device's included "sensors" point into the toilet bowl, allowing it to analyze what goes on in the bathroom.
According to Kohler, Dekoda is a health tracker that can monitor gut health and hydration, as well as detect the presence of...
