iOS 13 Bug Lets Attackers Bypass Lock Screen and Access Contacts

Security researcher Jose Rodriguez has revealed to The Register that the latest version of iOS is vulnerable to the same type of lock screen bypass as previous versions. Rodriguez discovered a bug that allows anyone to access the address book without unlocking the device back in July, when iOS 13 was still in beta. You can see the attack in action in the video below.

Like other similar bugs, this issue requires physical access to the device. The lock screen bypass involves receiving a call and choosing to reply with a text message. Then, by using the voice-over feature to change the value in the “to” field of the message, the attacker can access the device owner’s contact list. This gives a malicious actor the ability to browse the victim’s address book without unlocking the iPhone.

Preventing this type of attack is fairly simple: just disable the option to reply to calls with a text message from the lock screen in your settings. Unfortunately, this feature is enabled by default in iOS 13.

Rodriguez told reporters that while this isn’t a critical bug, he did contact Apple to report the vulnerability and requested a small reward for his discovery. He wasn’t asking for a large cash prize—just a $1 Apple Store gift card to keep as a trophy. Initially, Apple agreed to reward him, but later informed him that there would be no “prize” since iOS 13 was still in beta at the time, and bugs found in beta versions are not eligible for rewards.

The researcher emphasizes that the bug still hasn’t been fixed and works even in the latest builds of iOS 13, which is set to be released at the end of this month.

It’s worth noting that Rodriguez has found similar vulnerabilities in Apple products before. He has repeatedly discovered different ways to bypass the lock screen. For example, previous bugs have allowed unauthorized access to other people’s photos.