Apple disables Group FaceTime till it fixes a security flaw that gave access to microphone and camera of users, even before picking up the call

Yesterday, social media was all abuzz about a bug in Apple’s Group FaceTime video calling service. This bug allowed callers to listen in on people they were calling and also send a video to the caller, even if they haven’t picked up their phone. Apple said this issue will be addressed in a software update later this week. Currently, they have disabled Group FaceTime in iOS and MacOS.

In a statement to news reporting sites, an Apple spokesperson said, "We are aware of this issue and we have identified a fix that will be released in a software update later this week."

According to 9To5Mac, this bug affects iOS devices which are running on iOS 12.1 or later. In their report published yesterday, 9To5Mac shared how this bug works:

• Initiate a FaceTime Video call with an iPhone contact.
• Add another person to the call, while the call is still dialing.
• Then add your own phone number in the Add Person screen.
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• This will start a group FaceTime call including yourself and the audio of the person you originally called, even if they haven’t accepted the call yet.

This is not the first time a bug has been reported regarding Group FaceTime, which was first introduced in October last year. In November, a lock screen security flaw was discovered that provided access to all contact information and allows activating a FaceTime call.

You can read the full story on 9To5Mac’s website.

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