A new bug can crash an iPhone, iPad, or Mac with just a single message.
Chicago-based software developer Abraham Masri discovered a bug called "chaiOS" on Tuesday and posted about it on GitHub. His post comes with a note for people not to "use it for bad stuff." However, GitHub users had other ideas.
People started sharing the link on social media and sending it via the Apple Message app.
Once clicked, the link redirects users to a GitHub page, which then opens a huge list of text. It is such a long list that it overloads the iOS or Mac OS, causing the device to crash down.
It also makes the Message app unavailable until the bugged message is deleted. The problem is, it might take several tries until the Message app stays up long enough for the user to be able to erase the bug.
Users have reported various effects of chaiOS. Either the device freezes, crashes, re-starts, or resprings, a process that brings the user back to Lock Screen after 10 seconds.
According to BuzzFeed, Masri was "fuzzing with the operating system" when he found the bug. With "fuzzing," he meant he was trying to break the operating system by entering random characters into its internal code.
Masri clarified his post was made to call attention, not to do any harm. "My main purpose was to reach out to Apple and say, 'Hey, you've been ignoring my bug reports.' I always report the bug before releasing something," he said.
His post has since been deleted from GitHub, after the website suspended his account for several hours following the incident. However, his link has already been copied by other users, which means Apple devices are still at risk.
There is a tiny ray of light, however. Computer security expert Graham Cluley said the bug is "more of a nuisance." It does not necessary make the device prone to hacking.
Masri's work also proved effective when Apple confirmed it is releasing a software update to fix it.
