Khaled Salameh and the folks who run WinRumors have discovered a nasty Windows Phone bug whereby a simple text message can force a device to reboot and then make the messaging application unusable. We don’t know how to replicate this bug, and that’s a good thing, because WinRumors said that they merely want to let the world know that the bug exists, not explain how it works. They’ve already gone ahead and contacted Microsoft to let them know what’s up. The bug also works if you have a live tile with one of your Facebook friends on your home screen. All your friend has to do is post a status update that has the same random string of text as the previously mentioned text message and boom, your phone locks up.
Now up until now Windows Phone has been relatively free of security issues compared to the landmine that is the Android ecosystem. Apple’s iPhone has also seen numerous issues, though to be fair it’s been out on the market since the summer of 2007. What we’re going to be paying attention to is how fast Microsoft will respond to this bug and how well their servers hold up when issuing what will surely be a security patch. When Windows Phone 7 got the NoDo update during the first half of this year, Microsoft got some egg on their face due to how long it took to get the update out to everyone and because quite a few number of devices were turned into paperweights during the update process. The update to Windows Phone 7.5 Mango a few months back went much smoother, proving that Microsoft learned from their mistakes. Here’s hoping that this update experience will be just as seamless.
We’re curious, how has this news changed your opinion of Windows Phone? Unless someone has your phone number, they can’t attack you, but still, a mere text message isn’t supposed to be this malicious.
Update: Statement from Microsoft spokesperson Greg Sullivan: “We are aware of the issue and our engineering teams are examining it now. Once we have more details, we will take appropriate action to help ensure customers are protected.”