Apple Releases iOS 7.0.2 With Fixes For Lock Screen Bypass, Greek Passcode Keyboard

Apple has today released iOS 7.0.2 for iOS devices with a fix for the lock screen bypass vulnerability discovered this week. The issue allowed users to jump past lock screen passcodes to gain access to photos and other social sharing options.

The fix comes just a few days after Apple said it was working on including one in a future update. The lock screen bypass method involved sliding up Control Center, tapping on the timer button and holding down the power button until the cancel option came up. You would then tap on the cancel button and double-tap the home button. This gave you access to the multitasking UI. While most apps were locked out, the Camera option was accessible, allowing access to photos and sharing.

The method was fairly complex and the timing was precise. And the bypass didn’t give extensive access to phone data. Nonetheless, it needed to be fixed, especially as Apple made a bunch of security improvements in iOS 7 but left the front door a bit ajar.

This patch also adds back a Greek keyboard option for entering passcodes. The update is available over the air to iOS devices in the Settings>General>Software Update menu.