Apple’s FaceTime affected with eavesdropping bug

Apple’s FaceTime software has a bug in which other Apple users can hear audio of the person they are calling even before they pick up or reject the call. The bug also lets users access the front-facing camera.

The bug gets activated by calling another user, swiping up on the screen, tapping the “Add Person” option, then adding your own phone number. A group FaceTime call will begin, and the audio of the person being dialed can be heard, even without them accepting the request. The security issue escalates further if the call recipient presses the power or volume buttons, activating the front-facing camera as well along with the hearing the audio. There are no visual cues to notify the users that they have set the bug off.

The issue appears to affect any device that runs on iOS 12.1 or macOS Mojave.

Apple has pulled Group FaceTime offline and is currently on their way to disable Group FaceTime. The company also stated that they will fix the security issue in a software update within the week.

via Gizmodo