APPLE HAS FIXED a software bug that could allow iPhone users to listen to audio from the phone of the person they are calling before the person has accepted or rejected the call.

The bug was first reported by tech website 9to5Mac.

It was triggered when, while making a FaceTime call, a user swipes up from the bottom of the screen and taps Add Person and adds their own phone number.

This allowed them to start a group FaceTime call including themselves and the audio of the person they originally called, even if the second person hasn’t answered the call.

According to US media, a 14-year-old Arizona boy discovered the flaw and his mother struggled for a week to get Apple’s attention.

“My fear is that this flaw could be used for nefarious purposes,” Michele Thompson wrote to Apple, according to reports.

Apple acknowledged the help in its statement, saying: “We thank the Thompson family for reporting the bug.”

I just tested the FaceTime bug with @juliacarriew. It’s real. You can call someone on FaceTime and listen to their phone’s mic if they don’t pick up. In some cases, you can even observe them through the camera without their knowledge. You can go to settings and turn off FaceTime. pic.twitter.com/WmMWjRwWrt
— Sam Levin (@SamTLevin) January 29, 2019

Sam Levin / Twitter

Tests carried out by the Guardian show that, in some circumstances, the bug also allows users to see video of the person they are calling before they pick up.

If the recipient of the call pressed the power button on the side of the iPhone, an action typically used to silence or ignore an incoming call, their phone would begin broadcasting video to the person calling them - raising obvious concerns about privacy issues.

Now you can answer for yourself on FaceTime even if they don’t answer🤒#Apple explain this.. pic.twitter.com/gr8llRKZxJ
— DEAD FRIENDS™ (@DeadFriendsCHI) January 28, 2019

Benji Mobb™ / Twitter

The tech giant has taken Group FaceTime offline in an attempt to address the issue in the meantime.

Apple has now said that it has fixed the group FaceTime security bug on its servers.

“We have fixed the group FaceTime security bug on Apple’s servers and we will issue a software update to re-enable the feature for users next week,” Apple said in a statement.

“We sincerely apologise to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue.”

With reporting by AFP and Órla Ryan

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