iOS 6 fixes bug that let stolen iPhones receive iMessage texts
A problem with Apple's messaging app has finally be fixed, a source tells The Next Web.
An iMessage security hole discovered earlier this year has reportedly been patched in iOS 6.
Revealed in February, the bug allowed texts through iMessage to continue to appear even after the phone's account information had been wiped, the SIM card deactivated, or the password changed. This meant that a stolen iPhone could still receive text messages intended for the device's owner.
The Next Web reported that a source with knowledge of the matter said that the issue was resolved in iOS 6 after Apple pushed through several new checks for iMessage. One critical tweak requires users who change their Apple account ID to re-enter the password to use iMessage.
Further, people whose iPhones are lost or stolen are now protected against the old bug.
Inserting the SIM card in a new phone with the same associated number or remotely wiping the phone automatically prevents the iPhone from receiving texts through iMessage, TNW added. Change your Apple ID password, and all of your iOS devices will now ask for the new password before enabling iMessage.
In February, an Apple spokeswoman said the flaw was an "extremely rare situation that occurred when a retail employee did not follow the correct service procedure and used their personal SIM to help a customer who did not have a working SIM."
But apparently the company felt it was enough of a flaw that it needed to be fixed permanently.
CNET contacted Apple for comment and will update the story if the company responds.