iPhone Crashes From Receiving a Text Message

[carnageX]

Just a heads up for those of you that have an iPhone or do any kind of support for iPhones:

A new bug has been discovered in the Messages app, allowing a string of characters sent to a person via iMessage or SMS to crash an iPhone and cause the Messages app to crash after being opened. The bug, which requires a specific string of symbols and Arabic characters to be sent, was first noticed on reddit earlier this afternoon and has been spreading around the Internet since then.

Sending the string of characters to an iPhone results in an immediate respring, causing an iPhone to crash and quickly reboot. From there, if the Messages app was opened at a list view, the Messages app crashes automatically when you try to open it. If it was opened to the conversation where you received the message, the app will open, but attempting to go to another conversation causes Messages to crash.

MacRumors tested the bug on iPhones running iOS 8.3, but it may also be affecting other versions of iOS.

If you receive one of these messages, there are a few possible fixes that have worked for us and for other people who have encountered the bug. If the Messages app was opened to the conversation with the person who sent the offending message, the Messages app can be reopened to this conversation. Sending a reply message fixes the problem.

If Messages was opened to the conversation list view, the app will crash when you attempt to open it. You can fix this by having someone send you a message or by sending a message to yourself. There are several options for sending a message to yourself, including sending yourself a message via Siri or through the Share sheet in any app.

To send yourself a message in Siri, tell Siri to "Send a message to myself." Siri will open up a dialogue where you can give her a quick message like "Fix" that'll be sent to your iPhone to clear away the malicious message.

Alternatively, you can open an app like Notes, craft a quick note, and use the Share option (the little document with an arrow) to message it to yourself. Sending yourself something though the share sheet of an app opens a new messages window where you can enter your own contact information.

According to a Twitter user who spoke to Apple support, Apple's engineers are aware of the problem and are working on a fix.

Source: New iOS Bug Crashing iPhones Simply by Receiving a Text Message [Includes Fix] - Mac Rumors
More detail on why it's happening: About the latest iPhone Security Vulnerability : apple

 

[1etherer]

I just read this right now, I wanted to test it out on one of our iphones but dont know what arabic characters they are lol.

 

[carnageX]

I just read this right now, I wanted to test it out on one of our iphones but dont know what arabic characters they are lol.

The Reddit post I linked at the bottom explaining why it happens has the text available .

 

[1etherer]

The Reddit post I linked at the bottom explaining why it happens has the text available .

ahh nice - i will update you on the result

 

[1etherer]

It doesnt seem to work? Ive tried it on 2 iphone 6s...

*update - it seems it needs to be texted from imessage, I dont have this on the iphones as there are spares.. so when I find someone in the office to do it ill let you guys know!

 

[iFargle]

Yeah doesn't work on the 6 Plus either. Tried it

Apparently it happens only when you're in another app and the notification share comes down. Though I haven't been able to replicate it.

 

[1etherer]

Yeah doesn't work on the 6 Plus either. Tried it

Apparently it happens only when you're in another app and the notification share comes down. Though I haven't been able to replicate it.

I am going to try it again now my colleague is in, all I read is you just shouldnt have the messages app open when you receive it and it needs to be sent to imessage not message.

I will try with another app open and let you know.

*Update, tried on imessage still doesnt work, also tried with another app open.. I think apple patched it already! what a shame..

**Update! got it to work!! lol so funny, we have now sent it to 5 people but it doesnt work on them, but one of them received it but the message didnt show so getting mixed results.. the text people are posting isnt in the right order and is missing a space, I figured it out how to rearrange it and I got it working..

I guess im not allowed to post it here? but if the mods want to know it for "educational reasons" let me know