Apple fixes iPad 2 Smart Cover passcode bug

Owners of iPad 2 tablets can now breathe a sigh of relief, after Apple Inc. fixed a security flaw involving the iPad 2's Smart Cover. Enthusiast site 9to5mac.com reported the fix is included in the latest update to the iOS operating system that runs the iPad 2, iOS 5.0.1. "It appears that Apple has fixed the issue by not allowing the iPad 2 to go to sleep by way of the Smart Cover closing while on the power off menu. iOS 5.0.1 should make its way onto everyone’s iOS 5 devices in a few weeks," it said. Last month, the site noted anyone with an iPad 2 Smart Cover - or even a magnet - could effectively break into any passcode-protected iPad 2. While a person who unlocks the iPad 2 this way will still not have complete access to the iPad, he or she but will be able to gain entrance to whatever the owner locked his or her iPad 2 on. "If your iPad 2 went to sleep in Mail, Safari, Messages, Contacts, or Maps, you can imagine the sorts of personal information that can be viewed on your iPad," it said. On the other hand, leaving the iPad 2 on its Home screen will allow a person to view which applications are on it, and control media from the multitasking bar. "Now, with the release of iOS 5.0.1 beta, we’ve discovered that one of the new security fixes is a fix for this Smart Cover bug," it said. — RSJ, GMA News