URGENT: A newly discovered bug in Apple's FaceTime software lets Apple users listen in on the people they are calling, and even see through their front-facing camera, without them picking-up the call. You can disable FaceTime until the bug is fixed – CNN
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 29, 2019
iPhone FaceTime bug lets callers eavesdrop!
- A bug in FaceTime lets you listen in to the audio if you try to call someone — even if they don’t pick up.
- You first video call someone then try to add yourself to the group call.
- The FaceTime bug seems to be a huge privacy problem.
There’s a FaceTime bug that lets you hear through someone else’s iPhone, even if they haven’t answered your phone call. It was previously reported on Twitter by user Benji Mobb and reported by 9to5Mac.
CNBC tested it and verified that it’s a real bug. I tried placing a video call to my editor from my iPhone using Apple’s FaceTime app. Then, before he picked up, I used the menu option to add somebody else to the call and, as 9to5Mac’s directions state, I added myself to the call. Suddenly, I could hear my editor, even though he never picked up. We continued having a conversation while his phone only gave him the option to answer. There was no indication that the call had already gone through.
The Verge reports that, if the person you’re calling tries to end it by tapping the power button on their phone, it sends video but no audio. That means the person calling you can see a video of you or your surroundings as if you’d answered the call. I replicated this with a friend.
The feature linked to the bug has been disabled but it is a setback for a tech company that touts its commitment to privacy
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