iOS 6.1.3 released – Apple fixes iPhone/iPad passcode-bypass security loophole

Apple has just released iOS 6.1.3, an operating system update for iPhones and iPads that is said to fix a high profile (but probably not widely abused) flaw that could potentially allow someone to bypass your device’s lock screen.

As Naked Security described last month, a video was posted on YouTube showing how nimble-fingered mischief-makers could gain access to some of the data on your iPhone or iPad by following a sequence of swipes, keypresses and even making a phoney emergency call.

The update weighs in at 18.2 MB, and can be downloaded “over-the-air” via Settings / General / Softare Update…

iOS 6.1.3 is also said to include Maps updates for Japan. It’s hard to tell if Apple has included other security fixes in this release, as – at the time of writing – the company’s security knowledgebase page contains no details of the security-related content in this update.

I hope you have better luck clicking on that link than I did.

Nevertheless, you have to be grateful that Apple has now fixed this security loophole. At least Apple iPhone and iPad devices are typically running an up-to-date version of their operating system.

That’s not something you can so easily say about Android phones which often are way out of date, leaving the door open for exploits.

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Graham Cluley •   @gcluley

Graham Cluley is an award-winning keynote speaker who has given presentations around the world about cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. A veteran of the computer security industry since the early 1990s, he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, makes regular media appearances, and is the co-host of the popular "Smashing Security" podcast. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Threads, Bluesky, or drop him an email.