A software developer has discovered a bug that disables the Messages app on your iPhone. The creator is Vincedes3, and he has found a way to send a vCard that will crash the Messages app.
A vCard, which is a virtual business card used to share contacts, would typically contain between 200 and 300 lines of code. But, the vCard developed by Vincedes3 contains up to 14,281.
That means when the iOS text app tries to open the message, it will crash as a result of the excessive codes of lines this contains
There are two ways to unlock your message app after opening the modified vCard
If you happen to have any iOS device that runs iOS 8 to 10 you are at risk. Once you receive the killer message, restarting the app or even your phone after it crashes will not solve the problem.
Ther reason is the iOS Message app is programmed to open the most recent message automatically when you receive it. So after restarting your phone, trying to open the app will make it crash again. The situation will not change until you delete the vCard before tapping on the application.
Vincedes3, the tech expert who discovered the bug, does offer two solutions on his website. He gives you the possibility to fix the app by following a series of steps.
First, you have to open the link from your device using Safari. It will open a window to send a new message where you will have the option of deleting the malicious vCard without having to open it.
The other possible solution is to send yourself a message but this time open it using Siri. Doing so will take you to the Messages app, and once there, you can erase the modified vCard.
Vincedes3 is not the first person to crash iOS’ message app
It’s not the first time someone manages to make the Messages App crash. In May 2015, somebody discovered that sending a string of characters would crash the Message App. Apple corrected the issue briefly.
According to Vincedes3, the probabilities that Apple comes up with a solution very soon are high due to the many reports the bug has had.
Vincedes3 said that he is just trying to pinpoint the flaws the iOS system has so the company can fix them as soon as possible. The hacker also said that while Apple works on fixing the bug, the best option would be not to open any incoming vCard.
Source: Vincedes3
