EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

In June of this past year, a 15-year-old software bug was found to leave Mac devices vulnerable. Now a new bug has been discovered: An exploit in Apple’s FaceTime could let a caller eavesdrop on the person who’s being called, even before they answer the phone. In response, Apple has moved to immediately disable the group FaceTime function.

According to Wired, a 14-year-old Fortnite player in Arizona discovered the issue. While setting up a chat, he noticed he could listen in on his friends.

“All someone had to do to trigger the illicit audio was start a normal FaceTime call, then quickly add their own number as a third person in a group chat. If the person you were calling pressed the power button from their iOS lock screen, they would have transmitted both video and audio,” writes Wired.

Apple is already on it to find a solution to the problem. As Wired notes, this is a good reminder that smartphones have cameras and microphones built in. Keeping that in mind and taking extra precautions–such as mobile security–to prevent potential takeover by hackers could make that smartphone smarter.

Get the full story at Wired