The iPhone 11 (opens in new tab) and iPhone 11 Pro (opens in new tab) will ship running iOS 13, and that's an issue. Why? Because an exploit has been discovered in iOS 13 that allows users to take a peek at the contact information on an iPhone, even if it's guarded by Face ID (opens in new tab) or a PIN — the last thing you want when your address book is overflowing with A-listers like Angelina Jolie and Robert Downey Jr., which is totally the case for us.
Fortunately, the exploit requires the hacker actually to get physical with your iPhone; they can't tap in from afar. More importantly, it doesn't permit access to anything outside of contact data, so sensitive material like the contents of your iCloud Drive, iMessage threads, and local media is not at risk. But that doesn't mean this isn't a serious issue: Anything accessible without authentication is a big deal.
- Apple iPhone 11 announced with ultra-wide camera and a smaller price tag (opens in new tab)
- Apple iPhone 11 Pro unveiled with triple-camera, fast-charging, 18-hour battery life (opens in new tab)
- iPhone 11 deals compared: find the best iPhone 11 deal for you (opens in new tab)
We've done some digging, and it seems that Apple is aware of the issue and has fixed it in the beta version of iOS 13.1. However, it's still present in the final version of iOS 13 (opens in new tab) that's set to ship on board the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max come September 20 (opens in new tab). In fact, the latest iPhone trio will be at risk for as many as ten days, before the Cupertino-based company starts rolling out iOS 13.1 on September 30, after it's been thoroughly tested by early adopters, reports (opens in new tab) The Verge.
Strangely, this isn't the first time that contact information has been at risk. Back in 2013, an issue with iOS 6.1 allowed curious individuals to access contact information, call logs, and media. iOS 7, which was launched later that same ear, also included a similar issue — as did iOS 8.1. Although, by the time that came around, the bug was a lot worse, allowing users to bypass the lock screen altogether. And let's not forget the near-identical issue with iOS 12.1 that also put contact details at risk.
- iPhone 11 deals: the top prices all in one place
