A new security flaw was found in iPhones that have password protection turned on. This is not a problem if you do not have password enabled, after all, it is already wide open.
This is the flaw: When asked for a password, click on the emergency call button then double tap the home button. If you have your home button setup to go to your favorites you will see a list of your favorites.
From the favorites screen you can click on the blue arrow and see all of the personal information for that favorite contact.
And there is more… If you click on the email address for the contact you can compose and email, click on cancel and you are back at your email account selection screen and you can then read all of the emails in all accounts.
If in the favorite contact details screen you click on send text message then you can click cancel and you then have access to all of the text messages in your phone.
If you have the home button set to bring up the iPod application, you can click on emergency dial then double click the home button and have full access to your iPod. No real security issue there that I can see.
The temporary quick fix for this Security Flaw is to go to settings -> General -> Home button and set it to Home. With this setting there is no more security flaw.
So the question is, was this a “feature”. I can see where some people would like access to the favorites in an emergency situation. However, there should be no access allowed to the personal information and definitely no access to the actual email application.
Lets say you are out with your kids and you fall and break your leg and you need the kids to call for help. But that password on the phone is so they cannot use the phone. They can at least call home, spouse, etc. without the password.
It appears that the next release of the iPhone will solve this problem. For now it can solved by changing the options. But, more than likely you do not have the password turned on anyways so it does not matter.
There has been large concern about the security of the iPhone, should you be worried? I don’t think so. This is the first major security flaw so far since the release of iPhone 2.0. If you compare that to the large number of security flaws that are found in windows mobile, they are not doing too bad.
Sorry Windows Mobile, I really like you too……
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