A serious Apple iOS bug has been discovered that allows FaceTime users to access the microphone and front facing camera of who they are calling even if the person does not answer the call. To use this bug, a caller would FaceTime another person who has an iOS device and before the recipient answers, add themselves as an additional contact to Group FaceTime. This will cause the microphone of the person you are calling to turn on and allow the caller to listen to what is happening in the room. Even worse, if the person that is being called presses the power button to mute the FaceTime call, the front facing camera would turn on as well. |
What this means, is if someone is calling you on FaceTime, they could be listening and seeing what you are doing without you even knowing. In the meantime, Apple has apparently disabled the Group Facetime feature entirely, preferring to inflict a service outage than to leave the exploitable privacy hole gaping open. For those who are rightfully concerned about this bug, suggestion is that you disable FaceTime immediately until Apple releases a patch. Otherwise, people can not only listen in on what you are doing, but in some cases also see what you are doing. This could allow people to take compromising videos and audio without your knowledge. |