Eavesdropping flaw prompts Apple to suspend Walkie-Talkie app

Enlarge / Apple Watch. (credit: Valentina Palladino)

Apple has suspended use of the Walkie-Talkie app in the Apple Watch until the company fixes a recently discovered vulnerability that could let someone listen to a person's iPhone without permission, news site TechCrunch reported.

The Walkie-Talkie app allows people who accept an invitation to talk with friends in real-time without the hassle of making a phone call. Parties press a button when speaking and release it to hear what the other party says. Apple introduced the feature last year as part of its WatchOS 5 update.

Apple told TechCrunch that the flaw could allow someone to listen through another party's iPhone without consent. Apple didn't provide specifics of the vulnerability or exactly how it could be exploited. The company said it learned of the vulnerability through its vulnerability reporting page. Apple apologized for the temporary suspension while engineers investigate and fix the issue.

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