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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday June 16 2020, @10:23AM   Printer-friendly
from the defeats-the-purpose dept.

Locked iPhones rendered almost useless in Australia's COVIDSafe tracking efforts:

Software engineer Richard Nelson, who was part of a team of researchers that found other bugs in COVIDSafe, has detailed a bug affecting iPhone users, rendering their device basically useless when it comes to tracking efforts.

A locked iPhone with an expired ID cannot generate a new ID. Without an ID, Nelson said the device will record other devices around it, but cannot be recorded by others.

"A device in this state will record other people around it, but will not be recorded by others. If all relevant devices are in this state, no encounters are logged," he wrote.

"One could imagine Alice packing her bag, putting her iPhone in and going out for the day to a football game. With her device in this state, nobody else will record her presence, and if anyone around her tested positive she would not be contacted."

[...] Nelson told ZDNet that if the iPhone user was to unlock their phone, but not necessarily open the COVIDSafe app, a new ID would be fetched.

"If Alice's device was locked and had an expired token, and Alice then unlocks her device to check email, for example, and if Bob's device then scans and picks up Alice's device, Bob will be able to read Alice's ID," Nelson added.

But if the device is locked again first, it won't be read.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @01:59PM (8 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @01:59PM (#1008627)

    >> ...and can't hurt.

    It can't hurt until the government shows up at your door for attending a meeting of the wrong political party. You have three minute to pack your bags, please leave your valuables in this box on your way out.

  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:10PM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:10PM (#1008634) Journal

    It can't hurt until the government shows up at your door for attending a meeting of the wrong political party.

    Then you didn't do the application the correct way.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
  • (Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:11PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:11PM (#1008635)

    Good. Please let me know when that happens. Until then it may help and you're making shit up. Thanks.

    • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:26PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:26PM (#1008644)

      Found the Democrat!

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:45PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:45PM (#1008657)

        Yeah, that rabid Democrat [vox.com] really fucked us over.

        Idiot.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:14PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:14PM (#1008637)

    They're holding you wrong.

  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:41PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:41PM (#1008654)

    If that's a real concern for you*, move out of whatever shithole you live in.

    *Criminal gangs [wikipedia.org] aren't political parties, so if that's what you're referring to, go get some more tattoos on your face, I'm sure you'll feel right at home in prison. I understand there's lots of violent, hate-filled extremists like you there. But hey, it's three hots and a cot, plus free clothes and healthcare. And you don't even need to rob banks or beat/kill darkies, jews and homos. Good times!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @04:05PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @04:05PM (#1008699)

      Adjust your medication.

      • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @04:32PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @04:32PM (#1008712)

        Are you suggesting that doing different drugs make me more tolerant of violent hate-filled thugs?