Beware: Malicious Link Freezing iPhones Forcing Users to Reboot

In January, the tech world was buzzing about a Safari hack, CrashSafari, that was causing a whole host of problems for Apple device users. The malicious code cleverly incorporated an HTML5 History API call, running it continuously in a loop, causing Safari to freeze abruptly. It was particularly problematic for devices operating on iOS 9.2.1 and OS X 10.11. The bug appears to have been squashed with the introduction of iOS 10, as complaints about CrashSafari have been noticeably absent since then.

However, 9to5 Mac has reported a new threat. This time, a specific .mp4 video, when played in Safari for iOS, overwhelms the system to the point of becoming completely non-operational. It’s currently unclear if the video is linked to a malicious source. Nonetheless, playing this video can render your iPhone effectively useless for a while.

This flaw is especially troubling as it isn’t restricted to any particular iOS build. Tests have shown that even an iPhone running as far back as iOS 5 can be affected, and once the video is played, the device freezes, rendering it unusable.

Surprisingly, on iOS 10.2 beta 3, leaving an iPhone affected by this bug unattended for an extended period results in the device powering off and indefinitely displaying the spinning wheel icon usually seen during the shutdown process.

The silver lining? If someone sends you this malicious link and you unknowingly play the video; it is a relatively easy problem to fix – you simply hard reboot your device. The steps to do this vary slightly depending on the model of your iPhone. For all iPhones other than iPhone 7, this is done by long-pressing the power and Home buttons simultaneously, while for the iPhone 7 with its non-mechanical Home button, rebooting calls for simultaneously pressing the power button and volume down button.

Cupertino is expected to work out a solution to the issue soon. However, users can breathe a sigh of relief, as there is currently no indication that this flaw pilfers data from the device. Nevertheless, it can certainly cause a brief period of inconvenience and frustration.

This is a timely reminder to be more cautious with the links we click on and the content we choose to interact with online, because even the seemingly harmless can lead to an unpleasant encounter.