iPhone users have been warned after cybersecurity experts discovered a bug in Apple’s mirroring feature that leaves their data at risk.
Security software company Sevco discovered that using the flaw on work-issued Macs could result in smartphone data being shared with corporate IT systems.
They found that employees’ apps, photos, and messages were stored on corporate networks that were accessed by their employers.
Security teams are asking iPhone users to stop using the feature on their work computers and businesses to identify corporate IT systems that collect software inventory from Macs until Apple releases a patch.
Security researchers have discovered a bug in Apple’s iOS 18 that could allow personal information to be shared from your iPhone to your Mac and stored on external systems.
“This Apple bug is a significant privacy risk because it can expose users to aspects of their private lives that they may not want to share or be at risk,” Sevco said in a statement.
“This includes the publication of VPN apps in countries with restricted internet access, and the release of dating apps that reveal sexual orientation in jurisdictions with limited protection or legal repercussions. This could include publishing apps that employees simply want to share, or apps that are not related to health conditions.
“The impact of such a data breach can be severe.”
However, if the issue is not resolved, the company may find itself in legal trouble.
“This could lead to violations of major privacy laws such as the CCPA, potential litigation, and enforcement by federal agencies,” Sevco explained.
The security team also said they contacted Apple after multiple companies confirmed the issue and said they expect a patch to be released soon.
“Based on our conversations with Apple, we expect Apple to patch macOS in the near future,” Sevco said.
“Once a patch is available, companies must apply it to stop collecting personal data of their employees.
“Once the patch is available, Sevco recommends that businesses erase any employee data that was collected in error to eliminate the risk of liability.”
The team discovered the bug on September 2nd and confirmed that iPhone mirroring was the culprit.
On September 30th, Apple reported that the issue had been reproduced and told Sevco that an upcoming update would address the issue, but that was on October 3rd.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Apple for comment.
Sevco’s Discover announcement comes just a week after Apple released an emergency security update to fix a bug.
The tech giant introduced iOS 18.0.1 on October 3 to fix an issue that caused the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro to crash.
In the update’s patch notes, Apple said it fixed an issue that “in certain circumstances on iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models could cause the touchscreen to become temporarily unresponsive.”
This will come as good news for iPhone 16 users who have been reporting that their new phones’ screens frequently become unresponsive after the iOS 18 update.
On the former Twitter account X, one commenter wrote, “iPhone 16 Pro Max has a bug in AF!” From the touch screen becoming unresponsive to switching to a lower refresh rate on the phone.
Another commenter wrote, “I spent $1,600 on an iPhone 16 Pro Max and watched it freeze/crash at least twice a day.”
“My iPhone 16 pro has been unusable ever since I got it. Freezes, crashes, repeats,” added another message.
In addition to fixing this frustrating issue, Apple says the iOS 18.0.1 update also fixes a bug that causes the camera to freeze when recording with the ultra-wide camera.
This patch also includes a fix for a bug where “Replying to a message using a shared Apple Watch face may cause the message to end unexpectedly.”
This update applies to iPad Pro 13-inch, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later.
