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  • https://www.zdnet.com/article/ios-17-2-update-puts-an-end-to-flipper-zero-iphone-shenanigans/

iOS 17.2 update puts an end to Flipper Zero's iPhone shenanigans

ZDNet
·
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
·
Published Dec 15, 2023
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Updated

iOS 17.2 prevents the Flipper Zero from flooding the iPhone with popups. Apple has finally closed off the ability of the Flipper Zero pen-testing tool to flood iPhones with so many popups that the handset would lock up and require a reboot. Also: 7 cool and useful things to do with your Flipper Zero The attack required a Flipper Zero running the Xtreme third-party firmware. Then, using the built-in BLE Spam app, the Flipper Zero could cause a flurry of popups to appear on an iPhone, eventually resulting in iOS locking up. Put another way, it could perform a denial of service (DoS) attack on any and all iPhones within a 30-foot radius of the attacker. The Flipper Zero app could also be used to target Android and Windows devices, although with less extreme results. Also: My search for the best cheap Android tablet is over Well, this trick has come to an end with iOS 17.2. ZDNET has pitted the latest Xtreme firmware on the Flipper Zero against iPhones running iOS 17.2, and it seems that Apple has put a mechanism in place to prevent popups flooding the devices. Yes, a few popups to appear, but not the deluge that was previously spawned by the Flipper Zero. While a few popups do still appear, which is annoying and could cause some users confusion, the neverending stream that would deluge the iPhone has been cut off. To update your iPhone or iPad, tap Settings and then General and Software Update and follow the prompts to get your device up to date.

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Affected Software

1 affected component
Apple iOS and iPadOS=17.2

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the main topic of this article?

The article discusses the iOS 17.2 update, which addresses vulnerabilities exploited by the Flipper Zero device to flood iPhones with notifications.

2

What security implications are discussed?

The update mitigates a security risk that allowed the Flipper Zero to overwhelm iPhones, potentially causing them to freeze.

3

What products or software are affected?

The affected software is Apple iOS, specifically version 17.2.

4

How does the Flipper Zero exploit iPhones?

The Flipper Zero device floods iPhones with excessive pop-up notifications, which can cause the devices to lock up.

5

What action did Apple take in response to the Flipper Zero threat?

Apple released the iOS 17.2 update to patch the vulnerability and prevent Flipper Zero from causing disruption to iPhones.

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