Siri Can Make Calls from a Locked iPhone (By Design)

[MacRumors]

Weng Chin points out something he describes as a security flaw in the iPhone 4S with Siri. In this video, Chin demonstrates that a user can make phone calls from the iPhone 4S even while it is protected by the iPhone:

At 1 minute and 5 seconds in the video, Chin shows using Siri to make a phone call despite the iPhone 4S being locked. This seems to be by design, however.

Having Siri enabled while your phone is locked allows for you to continue to have hands free usage of your phone, even when in a locked state. Apple does offer you the ability to turn Siri off on the Lock Screen, if you prefer more security over convenience. In previous iPhones without Siri, users could similarly dial arbitrary numbers using Voice Dial even when the iPhone was locked. Apple similarly offered an option for Voice Dial to be turned off on the Lock Screen only.

Article Link: Siri Can Make Calls from a Locked iPhone (By Design)

 

[tigres]

It was this way with Voice dial as well. it should work this way, always.
who cares; what are they going to do- call mom?

 

[bryanjc]

WRONG.

There is an option to switch this off.

Under Passcode lock ''Do not allow access to Siri when locked with a passcode'.

You obviously have that option selected.

 

[ALR26]

What about voicemail? Can that be checked when the iPhone is locked?

 

[Djs621]

Weng Chin?? What about giving me the credit one of your faithful macrumors reaaders

 

[sideburn]

WRONG.

There is an option to switch this off.

Under Passcode lock ''Do not allow access to Siri when locked with a passcode'.

You obviously have that option selected.

LOL, they went to all that trouble to create a video when it's obvious you can toggle this feature on and off...

 

[hobo.hopkins]

I think people should be a little more careful before labelling something a "flaw".

 

[Amazing Iceman]

LOL, they went to all that trouble to create a video when it's obvious you can toggle this feature on and off...

That's what happen to people who don't like to read the manual!

 

[NAG]

And here starts the search for the next Apple-Gate. Will they unlock the eighth chevron and where will it lead?!

 

[fabianjj]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Why is this news? My iPhone 4 did this out of the box, although I do not recall whether or not there was an option to turn off that specifically on iOS 4.x

 

[iAshley]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Speak password to unlock: *cough*
No one would ever know

 

[dhickey90]

You can do that with voice control on IOS 4.

 

[goofy1958]

Yup, that even works on my old 3GS! Silly people who don't read the book.

 

[toddybody]

As they point out, you can disable Siri functionality while locked...so, how is this a security issue?

 

[Nikhil72]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Can you do other things like schedule a reminder or do a search with Siri when the phone is locked and password-protected?

 

[mingoglia]

As they point out, you can disable Siri functionality while locked...so, how is this a security issue?

It seems like everyone these days is in a rat race to get videos online. The phone wasn't his and he obviously spent limited time on it. If someone posts a video they're automatically an "expert" but it's obvious to me he probably only spent minutes with the device before joining the rat race and wasn't aware this is a convenience function that can be turned off and not a flaw.

 

[ranReloaded]

And here starts the search for the next Apple-Gate. Will they unlock the eighth chevron and where will it lead?!

We have to stop this "this-gate that-gate" trend. What are we gonna call it when Bill Gates gets involved in a scandal? "Gatesgate?"

 

[Laird Knox]

We have to stop this "this-gate that-gate" trend. What are we gonna call it when Bill Gates gets involved in a scandal? "Gatesgate?"

Unfortunately the scandal involved the gate to his front yard and it became known as Gatesgategate.

 

[garbeth]

Unfortunately the scandal involved the gate to his front yard and it became known as Gatesgategate.

Well played sir!

 

[Snypod]

For those saying iOS 4 already does this, Voice Control can only call people in your contacts list, not random numbers like is shown in the video.

[edit] Never mind. I was wrong.

 

[76ers]

For those saying iOS 4 already does this, Voice Control can only call people in your contacts list, not random numbers like is shown in the video.

Wrong. Voice Control on iOS 4 can also dial random numbers too except instead of saying "Call" you say "Dial". Call works for contacts while Dial works for random numbers.

CALL [contact's name] = Will call your address book contacts
DIAL [xxx-xxx-xxxx] = Will call any random number

It works on 3Gs too

 

[batchtaster]

I hope he enjoys his 15 seconds of fame.

 

[NAG]

We have to stop this "this-gate that-gate" trend. What are we gonna call it when Bill Gates gets involved in a scandal? "Gatesgate?"

But how will they discover the mysteries of the universe?!

 

[sennekuyl]

unfortunately the scandal involved the gate to his front yard and it became known as gatesgategate.

tmi!

 

[MacinDoc]

Weng, the only security flaw is you, because you haven't made the effort to learn how to secure your phone!