Apple's iOS 10.3 fixes flaw used in accidental DDoS attack on 911 call system
Apple's latest iOS 10.3 release patches a flaw that can be used to repeatedly dial a phone number, accidentally exploited last year to redial 911 call centers, protecting emergency operators from potential cyberattacks.
As noted by The Wall Street Journal, the vulnerability was first discovered by an 18-year-old in Arizona who took advantage of a JavaScript flaw in a bid to collect a bug bounty last year.
Last October, Meetkumar Hiteshbhai Desai, acting on a tip about a potential iOS flaw, wrote and shared code that caused target iPhones to continually dial 911 emergency call centers. After the code went live, the Surprise, Ariz., Police Department received more than 100 hang-up 911 calls within a few minutes, local publication AZ Central reported at the time.
