AI BriefingApple fixes bug exploited to extract deleted chat messages from iPhone
Key point
Apple fixed a notification cache bug that left traces of deleted and auto-deleted messages accessible.
Details
Apple has released a software update for iPhone and iPad that fixes a bug that made it possible to extract conversation content from messaging apps even after it had been deleted or auto-deleted.
The core of the problem was that once message content was displayed as a notification, that content could remain cached on the device for up to a month.
This bug is connected to a case reported by 404 Media. At the time, the FBI was able to use an iPhone forensic tool to extract messages deleted from Signal, via records that remained in the notification database.
Signal's Meredith Whittaker requested that Apple fix the issue, and Apple explained the vulnerability, stating that notification deletion may not have been processed as expected.
Apple backported this fix not only to the latest iPhone/iPad but also to older devices running iOS 18. This is a change with direct privacy implications for users who rely on one-time or auto-deleting messages.
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