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This $169 device can put your iPhone in a reboot loop. Here’s what you can do.
A tiny $169 device can send iPhones and other phones into a reboot loop. There’s no immediate fix, but you can take precautions.
A tiny device can be used to put your iPhone, and perhaps Android phones as well, into an endless reboot loop — and while there is a way to mitigate the attack, it’s far from ideal.
The device is called Flipper Zero and is typically used for penetration testing, meaning security experts use it to test another device’s wireless security. It’s not exactly obscure; it can easily be bought online for $169 in the U.S. or €165 in Europe.
Described as a “portable multi-tool for pentesters and geeks in a toy-like body,” Flipper Zero can interact with various types of wireless systems, including garage door remotes, TVs, NFC readers, RFID readers, and Bluetooth devices.
The device has been around since 2020 (we actually covered it back then), but Ars Technica and TechCrunch have recently highlighted how Flipper Zero can be used to essentially incapacitate an iPhone by sending an endless flurry of Bluetooth requests. On the victim’s iPhone, these could look like a request to connect with a TV, which keep popping up until the phone eventually reboots. This is not a new type of attack, but Flipper Zero is cheap, small, portable, and makes it a lot easier to do.
Security researcher Jeroen van der Ham said he experienced this attack himself. He then set out to replicate it himself in a controlled environment, and he managed to crash an iPhone, though the attack only fully worked on iPhones running iOS 17 or newer.
Here’s the problem: You cannot permanently deny these types of request on an iPhone. You can deny the connection, but the requests will keep popping up. The only thing you can really do at this point is to turn Bluetooth off completely, but then your wireless headphones and other Bluetooth accessories will be disconnected from your iPhone, which is hardly ideal. Note that you cannot just switch Bluetooth off in the Control Center; you have to turn Bluetooth off in the phone’s Settings to mitigate the attack. Van der Ham says he contacted Apple about the issue but did not hear back from the company.
There are reports saying that Flipper Zero can be used to perform a similar attacks on other devices, such as Android phones and Windows devices, though it’s unclear whether it can be used to crash them. Additionally, Android phones do have an option to turn off notifications for Bluetooth connection requests making this a lot less of a nuisance.
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8 FaceTime gestures that trigger cool reactions on iOS 17
You can trigger cool effects on FaceTime with eight gestures on iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma.
Did you know you can trigger cool effects like balloons, fireworks, hearts, and even a rainstorm on FaceTime? As long as you’re running iOS 17 on a compatible iPhone you can set off fun reactions with a handful of gestures.
Try out the following eight gestures to surprise your friends and family during video calls.
1. Use the ‘peace sign’ for balloons
2. Use two peace signs for confetti
3. Make the ‘heart’ sign to get a flurry of red hearts
4. Thumbs down for the ‘dislike’ icon
5. Double thumbs down for a rainy storm
6. Single thumb up for the ‘like’ icon
7. Double thumbs up for fireworks
8. The ‘rock on’ sign for flashing lights
Keep in mind that gestures should also work on other apps including Zoom and Google Meet. In addition to iOS 17, these reactions also support iPadOS 17 and macOS sonoma.
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