lock screen

Apple is working on bringing lock screen customisation features to the iPad, according to a leak from Twitter user @analyst941. The new options will allegedly arrive in the upcoming iPadOS 17 update.

Yeah I’m iPadOS 17 it’ll essentially be optional/editable where it’s positioned. it’ll have all the features of iOS 16 *and* i(Phone)OS 17 (tuned up Ls customizations) https://t.co/bdq9mHrKkV

— 941 (@analyst941) April 26, 2023

Last year Apple brought a flurry of new personalisation options to the iPhone lock screen, but unfortunately iPad users were left behind. This new update would provide feature parity across the two lineups.

The iPhone is rumoured to be getting even more lock screen functionality this year, which will arrive on the iPad at the same time according to the leak.

The source does not have a particularly lengthy track record to go off of, so reliability is unclear. However, the user has leaked accurate Apple information in the past.

The latest software updates for the iPad and iPhone are expected to be announced by Apple at WWDC in June.

Source: Twitter Via: MacRumors

Google’s November 2022 security patch dropped for Pixel phones a few days ago, and, if you haven’t already updated your Pixel phone, you should. The update includes a fix for a security flaw that could allow someone to bypass the phone’s lock screen using a SIM card.

David Schütz discovered the issue and detailed it in a blog post and video. While the post is well worth a read if you’re interested in this kind of thing, the short version is that someone with physical access to a Pixel device could bypass lock screen protections, including the fingerprint and PIN, and gain access to the phone.

To do so, all an attacker would need to do is swap the SIM card in the phone. In the video, Schütz shows himself swapping a SIM card into a locked Pixel 6, which then asks for the SIM PIN. After entering that wrong three times, the Pixel asks for a personal unblocking key (PUK), which is used to reset a SIM PIN if a user forgets it. However, in the case of Pixel phones, after entering the PUK and typing in a new SIM PIN, the phone unlocks.

Put another way, an attacker would only need a SIM card with a SIM PIN a PUK code that they know to gain access to any Pixel smartphone. The November 2022 security patch, which is now available for the Pixel 4a and newer, fixes the problem.

Frustratingly, Schütz reported the security flaw to Android’s Vulnerability Rewards Program in the middle of 2022, but Google didn’t do anything until September after some in-person prodding. Still, Schütz got a $70,000 USD reward (about $93,703 CAD), which is a good chunk of change for spotting the flaw.

Source: Schütz Via: 9to5Google