A peculiar glitch affecting iPhones and iPads has recently come to light, enabling users to crash their devices by typing just four specific characters. Though the issue is unusual, it does not appear to present any security risks.
The bug was first highlighted by hacker and security tester Konstantin on the Mastodon instance Infosec Exchange. Konstantin, who shared the discovery after finding it on “the bird site” (a reference to X, formerly known as Twitter), revealed that inputting the sequence ""::—two quotation marks followed by two colons—into particular search fields triggers the crash.
The glitch has been observed when these characters are entered into the App Library search field on iOS and iPadOS devices. This search field is accessed by swiping left through the Home Screen pages. Additionally, the issue appears in the search field within the Settings app. While this causes the Settings app to crash, entering the characters in the App Library results in a more severe disruption: it forces a complete restart of the SpringBoard, which is the Home Screen application in iOS.
Further reports indicate that the glitch also affects Spotlight Search on devices running iOS 18.1, which is currently in beta testing. This broader impact highlights the extent of the problem, although it remains confined to specific search functionalities.
Apple has not yet made a public statement regarding this bug. However, according to Ryan Stortz, an iOS security researcher, there is no indication that the glitch poses a security threat. Stortz reassured TechCrunch that, despite its oddity, the bug does not compromise user data or device security. “While the glitch is unusual,” Stortz commented, “there is no evidence to suggest it is a security vulnerability.”
This recent glitch is part of a historical pattern of similar issues affecting iOS. For example, in 2015, a bug caused the Messages app to crash when a particular text message was received, highlighting that iOS has previously experienced problems with handling specific inputs.
Apple is anticipated to address this issue with a future software update. The company typically resolves such glitches through patches included in subsequent versions of iOS and iPadOS. In the meantime, users are advised to avoid entering the problematic character sequence to prevent disruptions.
In summary, while the glitch involving the characters "":: may cause temporary inconvenience, it does not present a significant security concern. Apple is expected to release a fix in the near future, which will restore normal functionality to the affected applications. For now, users can rest assured that their devices remain secure, and they should stay tuned for updates from Apple regarding a resolution.
