Apple releases fix for disastrous group FaceTime bug

Better late than never.

Apple has finally released an update for iOS that fixes a serious bug in group FaceTime which allowed callers to spy on those they were calling — even if the intended recipient never answered. The update, iOS 12.1.4, was made available for download on Feb. 7 and follows shortly on the heels of two Congressional lawmakers publicly demanding answers from Apple CEO Tim Cook about the major privacy screw up.

According to Apple the update is for all iPhones newer than the 5s, the iPad Air and later iPads, as well as the iPod touch 6th generation. It mitigates what the company describes as a "logic issue [that] existed in the handling of Group FaceTime calls."

That so-called logic issue, discovered by a teenager in mid-January, burst into the public eye on Jan. 28 and forced Apple to disable the group FaceTime service altogether (it has now been turned back on). News of the vulnerability was met with shock by the security community, which correctly pointed out how big out a deal this really was.

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And it turns out that the group FaceTime bug was only one of a few problems lurking under the surface.

"In addition to addressing the bug that was reported, our team conducted a thorough security audit of the FaceTime service and made additional updates to both the FaceTime app and server to improve security," reads a Feb. 7 statement from an Apple spokesperson. "This includes a previously unidentified vulnerability in the Live Photos feature of FaceTime."

Notably, Apple will compensate Grant Thompson, the teen who discovered the bug, as well as make some form of contribution to his future education.

With this fix finally released, you should immediately update your iOS. And, having done so, go back to listening to Apple brag about how what happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone.

UPDATE: Feb. 7, 2019, 12:58 p.m. PST: This story has been updated to note that Apple will compensate Grant Thompson, and to include a statement from the company.