Apple says it’s fixed iPhone SMS vulnerability exposed at security conference

Apple says it’s fixed iPhone SMS vulnerability

LAS VEGAS — Apple Inc. says it has fixed an iPhone vulnerability that lets hackers knock people offline — and possibly take over the phones — by sending them specially crafted text messages.

Apple says it issued a software fix Friday after the vulnerability was exposed this week at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas.

Similar weaknesses were found in phones running Google Inc.’s Android and Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile operating systems. The Android problem has been fixed, and Microsoft is investigating the vulnerability reported in its software.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple says users will be prompted to download the fix when they plug their iPhones into their computers.