'Effective Power' message string to shut down/crash iPhones

[flyinghaggis]

Looks like our pupils have started using this bug to annoy their classmates!

 

This single text message is crashing people's iPhones - here's the fix | TechRadar

 

Only fix available so far is to disable notifications.

 

[tmoon-mint]

Couple of other fixes for this. Send another text in the same thread, easiest way to do that without opening the messages app is either in the Photos app or via Siri. Second one is if you have text message forwarding enabled you can delete the malicious text via the Mac Messages app. Very very annoying though.

[Arreks]

Tried it - didn't work.

[Edu-IT]

Worked for me.

[flyinghaggis]

If Messages quits unexpectedly after you get a text with a specific string of characters

Apple is aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update. Until the update is available, you can use these steps to re-open the Messages app.

1.Ask Siri to "read unread messages."

2.Use Siri to reply to the malicious message. After you reply, you'll be able to open Messages again.

3.If the issue continues, tap and hold the malicious message, tap More, and delete the message from the thread.

Last Modified: May 29, 2015

 

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204897

 

From what I've found this is the only official acknowledgement of the issue from Apple. I've read a few other threads suggesting that the issue also affects other messaging apps like whatsapp and snapchat. So it does sound like something fairly critical to the way IOS handles messages/notifications rather than a minor iMessage bug which makes me worry how little attention Apple seem to be giving the issue.

 

Has anyone else found a more up-to-date or detailed official response from Apple?

Edited June 1, 2015 by flyinghaggis

[tmoon-mint]

If Messages quits unexpectedly after you get a text with a specific string of characters

Apple is aware of an iMessage issue caused by a specific series of unicode characters and we will make a fix available in a software update. Until the update is available, you can use these steps to re-open the Messages app.

1.Ask Siri to "read unread messages."

2.Use Siri to reply to the malicious message. After you reply, you'll be able to open Messages again.

3.If the issue continues, tap and hold the malicious message, tap More, and delete the message from the thread.

Last Modified: May 29, 2015

 

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204897

 

From what I've found this is the only official acknowledgement of the issue from Apple. I've read a few other threads suggesting that the issue also affects other messaging apps like whatsapp and snapchat. So it does sound like something fairly critical to the way IOS handles messages/notifications rather than a minor iMessage bug which makes me worry how little attention Apple seem to be giving the issue.

 

Has anyone else found a more up-to-date or detailed official response from Apple?

 

Im amazed they have even released a statement to be honest. I would love to know why the patch is taking so long since the jailbreak community had a fix in Cydia within the first 24 hours.

[Arreks]

Im amazed they have even released a statement to be honest. I would love to know why the patch is taking so long since the jailbreak community had a fix in Cydia within the first 24 hours.

 

Because it's Apple, they're probably trying to plan on how to gold-plate and sell the patch.

[jamesb]

From what I've found this is the only official acknowledgement of the issue from Apple. I've read a few other threads suggesting that the issue also affects other messaging apps like whatsapp and snapchat. So it does sound like something fairly critical to the way IOS handles messages/notifications rather than a minor iMessage bug which makes me worry how little attention Apple seem to be giving the issue.

 

Has anyone else found a more up-to-date or detailed official response from Apple?

 

There's a nice analysis of the cause here: That EVIL TEXT that will CRASH your iPhone: We pop the hood • The Register

 

So to me it appears that anything using the CoreText library can potentially be affected. Since that appears to be everything Apple I'm fairly sure this'll get worse before it gets better - unless they fix it soon.

[synaesthesia]

What's the point, keep the owner away from a power socket for charging for half a day and it'll go on it's own accord.

[flyinghaggis]

Hmm, nearly a fortnight and still no further updates nor any sign of a patch.....

[Edu-IT]

8.4 is due at the end of the month, probably fixed in that.

[NB9457]

All my friends are bored of it now. Doesn't affect iOS7 too, which I'm on as I've not enough storage to update, so when my mates sat there giggling away whilst I was on my phone, I carried on, sent it straight back and it shut them up!