Smart Cover can be used to get into a locked iPad 2
Oh Apple, you idiotic…eh why bother. We already know that Apple is not all that on top of security issues these days so this doesn’t really come as a shock. It turns out that the Smart Cover – and any other magnetic covers that are auto turn-on enabled – can be used to bypass the security code on an iPad 2.
The way this works is simple. Lock the device, hole the power button until the “slide to power off” comes on, close the Smart Cover, open the Smart Cover, hit cancel. Congratulations, the device is unlocked – sort of. You can navigate the home screen and do everything that’s possible without opening apps (such as deleting apps, playing media, etc) – but opening apps from scratch doesn’t work without locking and properly unlocking the device. The real issue here is therefore when you lock the device with apps running, so that this trick brings you to that open app instead of the home screen. Imagine someone getting full access to your email, websites you’re logged into, etc. Not good.
The solution is to disable the Smart Cover lock/open feature in the settings, and wait for Apple to patch it in software.
[9to5mac via Gizmodo]
