A familiar flaw in Apple's iOS 6 that allows users to bypass the passcode lock screen has reappeared in iOS 7, making it the first significant vulnerability discovered in the newly-released mobile operating system.
The bypass – which Apple has said it is aware of and is working to fix – has been replicated by users on iPhone and iPad devices. It was discovered by Jose Rodriguez, who gained fame in the past for finding ways to slip past Apple's iOS security protocols for lock screens.
The flaw works by swiping up on the lock screen to bring up the Control Centre, a feature new to iOS 7. From there, opening up the alarm clock, holding the sleep button until the power off option comes up, and then hitting cancel while double-clicking the home button will make the exploit work.
The multitasking screen will pop up, which allows access to the camera and to photos stored on the device. The photos offer an option to share via email, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr etc – ultimately compromising those accounts.
Until Apple releases a fix, a temporary solution is to disable access to the Control Centre while the device is locked. This change can be made in the 'settings' option.