The bug affects calls to iPhones and reportedly impacts calls to Macs, potentially turning any device into a hot mic.A recently uncovered FaceTime glitch could present a privacy concern, and Apple has announced plans to address it later this week.
This glitch enables iPhone users to initiate a FaceTime call to another device and listen to audio on the recipient's end before they answer the call. Essentially, it can transform any iPhone into a live microphone without the user's awareness.
This poses a significant security risk for Apple, particularly during a period of heightened awareness regarding cybersecurity threats, coinciding with Data Privacy Day.
Initially reported by 9to5Mac and independently verified by CNET, the glitch was also confirmed to affect FaceTime calls made to Mac computers.
During a routine FaceTime call in the CNET office, we successfully replicated the glitch. Here's how it works: After starting a FaceTime session with an iPhone user, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to add another user to the call, including your own phone number. Even while the call is ringing, you can hear audio from the recipient's phone without them having accepted the call.
The Verge observed that if the recipient declines the call by pressing the power button, video footage will also be transmitted from their phone. CNET was able to confirm this, capturing a brief glimpse of video from the recipient's phone before the call ended.
In a statement to CNET on Monday, an Apple spokesperson acknowledged the issue and assured that a fix has been identified, set to be released through a software update later this week. Subsequently, Apple's System Status page indicated that Group FaceTime was "temporarily unavailable." Following this update, we were unable to replicate the glitch, suggesting that the issue has been resolved until the software update is deployed.
Apple introduced Group FaceTime to users in late October with the iOS 12.1 release, enabling up to 32 people to join a video chat simultaneously.
The news of this vulnerability spread quickly on Twitter, prompting technology writer Andy Baio, among others, to caution iPhone users.
"I don't know about you, but I'm disabling FaceTime on my Mac and iPhone until this is resolved," he wrote.
Just tested in our office. The other iPhone rang for a minute, and then the call was marked as "Failed"... but I could still hear everything on the other end. 😱— Andy Baio (@waxpancake) January 29, 2019
Engineering veteran Erica Baker also voiced concern about the issue. "This bug affects MacOS too, meaning virtually every Mac laptop in every setting is currently a live microphone," she tweeted.
As 9to5Mac reporter Benjamin Mayo pointed out, FaceTime calls to a Mac have the potential to ring (and consequently transmit audio) for extended periods, exacerbating the problem.
FaceTime on Mac rings for much longer than calling an iPhone. It is affected by this bug too, and can therefore act as a spy device for a longer duration (if the person is away from their laptop and doesn’t accept/decline).— Benjamin Mayo (@bzamayo) January 29, 2019
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