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If you’re an iPhone user, be on high alert! There’s a bug, chaiOS, that can freeze an iPhone through iMessage. Add this to the list of countless bugs that have affected iPhones and other Apple devices.
Here’s what you need to know.
About chaiOS and How It Got Out
It all started with software developer Abraham Masri. He was browsing around the operating system when he found the chaiOS bug. After finding it, he posted the bug’s link on his Github account and shared it on Twitter publically. It all went downhill from there.
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chaiOS bug:
Text the link below, it will freeze the recipient’s device, and possibly restart it. https://t.co/Ln93XN51Kq⚠️ Do not use it for bad stuff.
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thanks to @aaronp613 @garnerlogan65 @lepidusdev @brensalsa for testing!— Abraham Masri (@cheesecakeufo) January 16, 2018
Github took down the chaiOS link and suspended Abraham’s account as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it was too late. The link was already taken by other Github users and posted elsewhere online.
How the bug works is that it is sent to an iPhone using iMessage. Once it’s sent, the iPhone is infected by the bug. In most cases, the iPhone just freezes for a short time. However, sometimes it will cause the phone to crash. After reading about some people who have tested it, the bug only affects iOS 10.0 to 11.2.5 beta 5 versions.
Masri says it was just his intention to alert Apple and for the link not to be used for bad purposes. Really Abraham? Really? You post a bug online and think it’s not going to be abused? Well, hopefully, he has learned his lesson.
Apple plans to fix the chaiOS bus the week of January 21, 2018. Read more about it here.
How To Prevent Your iPhone From Getting Infected By chaiOS
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Make Sure Your iPhone Is Updated
To avoid becoming the victim of chaiOS, make sure your iPhone is updated. The chaiOS bug only affects phones running on iOS versions 10.0 to 11.2.5 beta 5. So, if you’re up-to-date with the latest iOS version, it will be less likely that your phone will get affected.
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Delete The chaiOS iMessage Thread Immediately
If you believe you have been sent the chaiOS bug link, delete the iMessage thread immediately. Don’t click or open the message. You don’t want to be one of one those iPhone owners whose phone crashes.
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Use a Cell Phone Monitoring App
Using a cell phone monitoring app is great in making sure bugs and other mobile threats like online hackers don’t get access to your phone. You would be able to see any suspicious activities happening on your iPhone including on social media, email, iMessage, and other apps.
The chaiOS bug that was found by Masri isn’t surprising. Apple has had a history of having iMessage bugs. Back in 2015, the “Unicode of Death” iMessage bug caused iPhones to crash. In the future, make sure to take the above preventative steps and be aware of any iPhone bug news.
