We've all been waiting for Russian-language Siri for a very long time. Finally, about a month ago the rumors were confirmed - you've probably seen a bunch of jokes about the assistant's sense of humor. We have installed the beta version iOS 8.3 and decided to check what awaits us, what services will work in Russia, but during testing we came across a completely unexpected opportunity.
It’s not entirely clear whether this is a bug or a feature, but having tested this “feature” on iOS 8.2 And iOS 8.3 we got the same results – i.e. Either this is actually a feature, or no one paid attention to this “bug”. Of course, this is not gaining access to a locked iPhone in general terms, however, in our opinion, it is quite a serious problem in ensuring the security of your private data at a minimum, and at a maximum an opportunity for scammers.
Below, on the left screenshots iOS 8.2 with an English-speaking environment and Siri, on the right - beta iOS 8.3 with Russian-language environment and Siri.
Getting access to the phone's address book
Let’s make a reservation right away that we were not able to gain access to the general list of contacts, but most of the book with skillful questions Siri becomes available in just a few seconds. Siri shows contact details on a locked iPhone if you only know the name in the address book, not very interesting (although...), but if you have several contacts in the address book with the same first or last name - Siri displays the entire list and then you can view the contacts yourself. Here's an example - look at Mash's contacts on your phone.
Thus, by going through different names you can find out a large number of contacts from your address book. Moreover, not just a list of contacts is displayed, but when you click on a specific contact, you can view detailed contact information.
What could this lead to? Well, I don’t know, you never know what is stored in contacts, I know several people who store PIN codes for plastic cards and other important information in contacts - this once again proves that there is no need to store it there.
We send a message on your behalf to contacts from your address book
Okay, we have contacts in your address book, everyone knows that now you can call the numbers in your address book from a locked phone. Is it possible to write a message? Easily!
Just ask Siri to write a message for one of your contacts and it is sent, either by iMessage, or regular SMS.
And what could this lead to - yes, to anything, from a harmless joke to fraud, which is now so widespread, for example in Skype.
How to protect yourself from this
The simplest thing is to turn off Siri in your settings and wait for this feature to disappear from the list of available commands.
There is another way, which, on the one hand, makes it possible to use Siri, but on the other hand, does not give access to contacts: Siri and contacts must be in different languages, for example, if Siri is English-speaking, then the contacts in the address book must be in Russian and vice versa. In this case, Siri does not find them in the cases described above.
We have already written about this to Apple, and you write your opinion in the comments.
P.S.: Well, the good news is that in iOS 8.3 Siri can make a call immediately over the speakerphone, if you ask it “Siri, call Masha Ivanova on the speakerphone.”
Connect your iPhone to your computer. The large plug of the cable connects to the computer, and the small plug to the iPhone.
- You can use any appropriate cable, but it is better to use the cable that was purchased with your smartphone.
On your computer, open iTunes (if it doesn't launch automatically). Depending on your computer model, you may have to confirm that iTunes will start automatically (this is done after connecting your smartphone).
Wait until the iPhone is synced with iTunes. A message will appear at the top of the iTunes window: “Syncing [your name] iPhone (step [X] from [Y]).” Once synchronization is complete, you can begin restoring your smartphone to its original settings.
Click "Device" to open a tab with information about your smartphone. The icon for this button looks like an iPhone and is located under the Account tab.
In the Backups section, click Create a backup. This is not necessary, but this way you guarantee the safety of your data, which can be restored at any time.
- If automatic backup is enabled, there is no need to create a backup manually - it will be created automatically when you connect your smartphone to your computer. In the Backups section, look for the date of your last backup and make sure your backups are up to date.
- The backup copy can be sent to cloud storage (in this case, select the “iCloud” option) or saved on your computer (in this case, select the “This PC” option).
Click "Restore iPhone". This button is at the top of the iTunes window.
- If your iPhone has Find My Smartphone enabled, iTunes will prompt you to turn it off before restoring the settings. To do this, open the Settings app, tap iCloud, then click the Find My iPhone option and move the slider next to it to the right to turn off Find My iPhone. You may need to enter your iCloud password to complete this process.
Wait for the recovery process to complete. This will take some time as iTunes reinstalls the iOS operating system.
Click "Restore from this backup" and select a restore point. To do this, click on the line with the name of your iPhone. The dates and locations of the backups will appear directly below the line; select the latest restore point.
- If the “Restore from this backup” option is not enabled by default, check the box next to it.
Despite the fact that each subsequent version of iOS becomes more reliable than the previous one, sometimes even in the most current build bugs can appear that completely destroy the security of the operating system. This problem did not escape iOS 12, which, as a user named Jose Rodriguez managed to find out, allows you to bypass a password of any complexity and gain access to the owner’s confidential information, including the list of contacts in the address book and photos.
Like a series of previous bugs that allow you to bypass the operating system password, this one also involves Siri and the VoiceOver service. However, it was not without difficulties either. This method of bypassing operating system protection requires attackers not only to have physical access to the victim’s smartphone (at least for a few minutes), but also to know her phone number. Otherwise, it will simply not be possible to carry out the manipulations necessary for “hacking.”
How to Bypass Password in iOS 12
- To bypass the passcode in iOS 12, you need to call Siri from the lock screen and ask her to activate the VoiceOver service;
- Next, you need to dial the victim’s phone number;
- At the time of the call on the smartphone being hacked, you must select a response with a message and press the “+” key;
- Then you need to send a message to the victim’s smartphone, the notification of which, provided the VoiceOver service is active, causes a system error and opens access to the messages interface, a list of recently dialed contacts and the ability to view detailed information about them by pressing the “i” key.
How to protect your iPhone from hacking
Despite its primitiveness, this password bypass method was not fixed even in the first beta version, which was released two weeks ago. However, users themselves can protect themselves and their iPhones from unauthorized access. To do this, you need to prevent calling Siri from the locked screen. Simply go to Settings - Touch ID & Passcode and under Lock Screen Access, turn off the ability for Siri to be called from a locked screen.
You can discuss this and other Apple news at.
Hello friends! Not long ago I bought my wife an iPhone 7, but she is a forgetful lady and a problem arose: how to unlock an iPhone if you forgot your password? At that moment I realized what the next topic of my article would be.
Despite the fact that most iPhone models have finger scanners, many people continue to use digital passwords out of habit. There are also owners of phone models 4 and 4s, which do not have a built-in fingerprint scanner. Plus, there is a possibility of glitches in the scanner. This is why thousands of people are still faced with the problem of a forgotten password.
1. How to unlock iPhone if you forgot your password: 6 ways
After the tenth attempt, your favorite iPhone is blocked forever. The company tries to protect phone owners as much as possible from data hacking, so it is quite difficult to recover the password, but it is possible. In this article we will give as many as six ways to unlock your iPhone if you forgot your password.
Important! If you haven't synced any of your data before attempting the reset, it will all be lost.
1.1. Using iTunes from a previous sync
If the owner has forgotten the password on the iPhone, this method is recommended. Forethought in recovery is very important and if you are lucky enough to have a backup copy of your data, there should be no problems.
For this method you will need a computer on which synchronization with the device was previously carried out.
1. Using a USB cable, connect your phone to your computer and wait until it appears in the list of devices.
3. Now you need to wait, iTunes will synchronize the data for some time. This process may take a few hours, but it's worth it if you need the data.
4. When iTunes reports that synchronization is complete, select "Recover data from iTunes backup." Using backups is the easiest thing you can do if you forgot your iPhone password.
5. The program will display a list of your devices (if there are several of them) and backup copies with their creation date and size. The creation date and size determine how much of the information will remain on the iPhone; changes made since the last backup will also be reset. Therefore, choose the latest backup.
If you are not lucky enough to have a backup of your phone in advance or you do not need the data, read on and choose another method.
1.2. How to unlock an iPhone via iCloud
This method only works if you have the Find My iPhone feature set up and activated. If you are still wondering how to recover your iPhone password, use any of the other five methods.
1. First of all, you need to go to the link https://www.icloud.com/#find from any device, no matter whether it is a smartphone or a computer.
2. If you have not previously logged into the site and saved a password, at this stage you need to enter your Apple ID profile information. If you have forgotten your account password, go to the last section of the article regarding how to reset your iPhone password for Apple ID.
3. At the top of the screen you will see a list of “All devices”. Click on it and select the device you need, if there are several of them.
4. Click “Erase (device name)”, this will erase all the phone data along with its password.
5. Now the phone is available to you. You can restore it from an iTunes or iCloud backup, or re-set it up as if you just bought it.
Important! Even if the service is activated, but access to Wi-Fi or mobile Internet is disabled on the phone, you will not be able to use this method.
Without an Internet connection, most methods for hacking an iPhone password will not work.
1.3. By resetting the failed attempt counter
If your gadget is locked after the sixth attempt to enter the password, and you hope to remember the password, try resetting the counter of incorrect attempts.
1. Connect your phone to your computer via a USB cable and turn on iTunes. It is important that Wi-Fi or mobile Internet is turned on on your mobile phone.
2. Wait a little while the program “sees” the phone and select the “Devices” menu item. Then click “Sync with (name of your iPhone).”
3. Immediately after synchronization begins, the counter will reset to zero. You can continue to try to enter the correct password.
Do not forget that the counter cannot be reset simply by rebooting the device.
1.4. Using recovery mode
This method will work even if you have never synced with iTunes or enabled the feature to find your iPhone. When you use it, both the device data and its password will be deleted.
1. Connect your iPhone via USB to any computer and open iTunes.
2. After this, you need to hold down two buttons at the same time: “Sleep mode” and “Home”. Keep them on for a long time, even when the device starts to reboot. You need to wait for the recovery mode window. On iPhone 7 and 7s, hold down two buttons: Sleep and Volume Down. Hold them for the same long time.
3. You will be prompted to restore or update your phone. Select recovery. The device may exit recovery mode if the process takes too long, then repeat all the steps again 3-4 times.
4. Once the recovery is complete, the password will be reset.
1.5. By installing new firmware
This method is reliable and works for the vast majority of users, but requires selecting and downloading firmware, which weighs 1-2 Gigabytes.
Attention! Carefully select the source for downloading the firmware. If there is a virus inside it, it can completely break your iPhone. You will no longer be able to find out how to unlock it. Do not ignore antivirus program warnings and do not download files with the .exe extension.
1. Using a computer, find and download the firmware for your iPhone model with the .IPSW extension. This extension is the same for all models. For example, almost all official firmware is available.
2. Log into Explorer and move the firmware file to the folder at C:\Documents and Settings\username you are using\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates.
3. Now connect your device to your computer via USB cable and log into iTunes. Go to your phone section (if you have multiple devices). Each model will have a full technical name and you can easily find yours.
4. Press CTRL and "Restore iPhone". You will be able to select the firmware file that you downloaded. Click on it and click “Open”.
5. Now all we have to do is wait. Eventually the password will be reset along with your data.
1.6. Using a special program (only after jailbreak)
If your favorite phone was hacked by you or the previous owner, all the methods above will not work for you. They will lead you to install the official firmware. You will have to download a separate program called Semi-Restore for this. It won't work if you don't have the OpenSSH file and the Cydia store on your phone.
Attention! At the moment the program only works on 64-bit systems.
1. Download the program from https://semi-restore.com/ and install it on your computer.
2. Connect the device to the computer via a USB cable, after a while the program will recognize it.
3. Open the program window and click the “SemiRestore” button. You will see the process of clearing devices of data and passwords in the form of a green bar. Wait, the mobile may reboot.
4. When the runner “crawls” to the end, you will be able to use the phone again.
2. How to reset your Apple ID password?
If you don't have your Apple ID account password, you won't be able to sign into iTunes or iCloud and reset. All methods of how to recover a password on an iPhone will not work for you. Therefore, you will first need to recover your Apple ID password. Most often, the account ID is your email.
1. Go to https://appleid.apple.com/#!&page=signin and click the “Forgot your Apple ID or password?” button.
2. Enter your ID and click on “Continue”.
3. Now you can reset your password in four ways. If you remember the answer to your security question, select the first method, enter the answer and you will be given the opportunity to enter a new password. You may also receive a password reset email to your primary or backup account email. If you have another Apple device, you can use it to recover your password. If you have enabled two-step verification, you will also need to enter the password that will be sent to your phone.
4. Once you reset your password using any of these methods, you will need to update it in other Apple services.
Which method worked? Perhaps you know life hacks? Share in the comments!
That the Siri voice assistant can be used to steal funds from user accounts (through the functionality of SMS banks). Even then, we wrote that the root of the problem was a rather old topic: bypassing the iOS lock screen using Siri ( and ). It’s not without reason that researchers have long recommended disabling the use of Siri when the lock screen is active in order to avoid various problems.
A new way to bypass the lock screen once again proves the experts right. The problem was discovered by YouTubers EverythingApplePro and iDeviceHelps. The bug is present on iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 and later, including version 10.2 beta 3. To implement the attack, as always in such cases, you will need physical access to the device, and you also need Siri to be active when the lock screen is on.
Step 1
First, the attacker needs to find out the victim’s phone number, and for this the Siri assistant is needed: he needs to ask the question “who am I?” (Who am I?). Then, knowing the victim's number, the attacker must call her or initiate a FaceTime call. It doesn’t matter how the smartphone is locked, with a password or using Touch ID, when a call comes in, you will also be able to answer it. At this point, the attacker needs to click on the “Messages” icon and select a custom message, supposedly in order to respond via SMS. Although the screen lock is still active, a window will appear for you to type a new message.
Step 2
Now the attacking side will again need Siri's help. You need to command your assistant to activate VoiceOver. This is a gesture-controlled interface voice function, without which the attack will not work.
Step 3
Returning to the message typing screen, the attacker will need to use a little sleight of hand. You will have to double-tap the message recipient name field while simultaneously pressing any character on the keyboard. This may take several attempts, but if everything is successful, the attacker will be able to type something arbitrary into the “To” field, although the original message should have been intended specifically for the person who just called the device.
Step 4
Since the attacker has “unblocked” access to the “To” field, the entire address book of the victim is available to him. At this point, you can disable VoiceOver, as it is no longer needed and is quite annoying.
Step 5
In the victim’s contact list, you need to find an entry with the “ⓘ” icon, click on it, and then proceed to create a new contact.
When creating a new contact, the user can add a photo, which means that by using this option, the attacker will be able to view the photo gallery of the device owner.
Step 6
In addition to access to all contacts and photos of the victim, the attacker can also select any contact from the list and view all conversations that the device owner previously had with this user.
Below you can see a demonstration of the attack performed by EverythingApplePro and iDeviceHelps themselves.
To protect against such problems, users are once again advised to disable Siri if the phone is locked. This can be done in the settings (Settings → Touch ID & Passcode). There is no official fix for the vulnerability yet.
