Apple’s iOS 6.1.3 update fixes lockcode bypass flaw

Android

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Remember that iPhone lockcode bypass security hole? Well, it’s a thing of the past thanks to the iOS 6.1.3 update, which was seeded out to end users today. It is currently available over-the-air via Software Update in the Settings app or through the company’s iTunes software.

The biggest change is one you will never see. iOS 6.1 introduced a bug that let hackers access contacts and view certain photos on the iPhone by bypassing the lockcode. Apple had promised a fix for this bug, which could have been triggered in a couple of ways. The latest update fixes the lockscreen security flaw.

Now there's no need to panic about the lockcode bypass flaw



Additionally, users of the iPhone in Japan, or people who access Japanese maps on the iPhone, will be able to enjoy the improvements that the update brings to Apple Maps. The company had previously released these Japan-specific Maps fixes over-the-air to non-6.1.3-beta devices. This full-fledged update includes even more improvements over those updates.

iOS 6.1.3 also adds a variety of security patches, including one for the WebKit-based Safari browser. The update fixes an issue where visiting a malicious website could have lead to unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. Most of the recent iOS devices, such as the iPhones 3GS, 4, 4S and 5 will benefit from the update, which will also be seeded to iPod touch and iPads (iPad 2 onwards).

However, there’s bad news for those using jailbroken iPhone 5S. As reported earlier, this latest update fixes some of the vulnerabilities that were used to implement the evasi0n jailbreak. So users who have used the most popular iPhone jailbreaking tool would want to hold off on hitting that update button.

Alongside the iOS update, Apple also pushed out the Apple TV 5.2.1 software. It contains a number of bug fixes and has also brought a redesigned Hulu app. The security fixes prevent users from executing unsigned code, determining the address of structures in the kernel and executing arbitrary code in the kernel. As for Hulu, the app has been entirely redesigned with a better discovery tool and some simple UI changes. Content categories are across the top navigation bar now to make it easy for users to switch between sections easily. Now there’s a new "Shows You Watch" tray that helps you keep track of which episodes of your favourite shows are still to be watched by you.

Users can also access the Subtitles and Audio menu for captioning videos. The 5.2.1 update also adds iTunes in the Cloud support for music in Japan and Israel.
 
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