Safari Flaw Crashes, Reboots iPhones, iPads With Just 15 Lines of Code

A security researcher named Sabri Haddouche has discovered a new flaw in WebKit, the layout engine which allows Apple's Safari browser to render web pages, that causes an iOS device to crash with just 15 lines of code embedded in a link. The code takes advantage of a vulnerability in WebKit and overloads the system resources which forces an iPhone or an iPad to crash when the webpage is accessed via the Safari browser.

"Anything that renders HTML on iOS is affected", Sabri was quoted as saying by TechCrunch. The security proficient has published the code on his GitHub page and has also created a webpage containing the same code that tin can cause an iOS device to crash or reboot.

How to force restart any iOS device with just CSS? 💣

Source: https://t.co/Ib6dBDUOhn

IF You Want TO Attempt (DON'T Blame ME IF YOU CLICK) : https://t.co/4Ql8uDYvY3

— Sabri (@pwnsdx) September 15, 2018

The security researcher explained that a number of elements in the lawmaking are repeated 'inside a backdrop filter property in CSS', which cease up using all of the available system resources and trigger a process called 'kernel panic' that shuts down a device in order to foreclose damage. For some users, their device will but shut downward, while in the case of a few others, their iPhone or iPad volition reboot.

Safari Flaw Crashes, Reboots iPhones, iPads With Just 15 Lines of Code — The code besides causes a macOS device to freeze (Image courtesy: filosofikode/Github)

It has been verified that the code affects devices running the nearly recent stable iOS (v11.4.1) build besides every bit the latest iOS 12 beta update. The exploit can also crusade macOS devices to freeze when the webpage is opened in Safari.

The code is fool-proof and in that location is no style to prevent it from shutting downward or rebooting an iOS device, but luckily, the exploit cannot be used to seed malware for stealing information or doing any other class of damage.