Apple has today released iOS 12.1.4 to the public. This release addresses a
recently discovered bug with the group messaging feature of FaceTime that
allowed a user to hear the audio of the person they are calling before the
receiving party accepted the call.
The Verge
<https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/29/18201667/apple-group-facetime-disabled-s
erver-side-major-security-flaw-fix> reports that this bug may have been
introduced in iOS 12.1 when the Group FaceTime feature was initially
launched, and that it has potentially allowed anyone to call a phone or Mac
and listen in before the other person picks up:
The flaw works by adding yourself to a FaceTime call before the recipient
picks up, tricking FaceTime into thinking it's an active call and forcing
the person you're actually calling to start transmitting audio.
Apple disabled Group FaceTime completely last week
<https://9to5mac.com/2019/01/28/facetime-calling-bug-fix/> as a temporary
solution for preventing people from exploiting this vulnerability. Today's
iOS release now addresses this bug and will allow Apple to reactivate Group
FaceTime for users who are not running an affected version of iOS.
We strongly encourage anybody running iOS 12.1 or later to update to iOS
12.1.4 to protect themselves against this vulnerability.
As iOS 12.1.4 is likely to have been released to specifically address this
bug, we do not anticipate that it will bring any fixes or changes for blind
or low vision users.
iOS 12.1.4 is available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General >
Software Update) or via iTunes on a Mac or PC.
Before updating, we strongly recommend making a full and complete backup of
your device (either in iTunes or iCloud, depending on personal preference).
This will ensure that, in the unlikely event that something goes wrong
during the update process, you will have a current backup on hand in case a
device restore becomes necessary. Also, if using OTA update, we recommend
plugging your device into a power source for the duration of the
download/installation process, so as to prevent the unlikely event of your
battery going dead during the update.
More information on how to update the software on your iOS device is
available on this Apple Support page
<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204204> .
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