Malicious Video Link Causes iOS Devices to Freeze, Requiring a Hard Reset - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Malicious Video Link Causes iOS Devices to Freeze, Requiring a Hard Reset

by

A malicious video link that when played in Safari causes iOS devices to crash has been discovered this morning.

Playing the MP4 video in question through Safari appears to have no effect at first, but gradually the operating system slows down before it freezes completely, after which only a hard reset will bring the device back to life. YouTube channel EverythingApplePro has posted a demonstration (i.e. not the original video) showing the exploit in action.

iOS safari video crash
The bug appears to affect iOS builds as far back as iOS 5, while iPhones running iOS 10.2 beta 3 are said to power off and show the spinning wheel indefinitely.

If you fall victim to the prank, you'll need to hard reboot to get your device working again. According to a Reddit post by user Riddle, currently the top level domains hosting the video appear to be vk.com and testtrial.site90.net, but bear in mind that the video could be hosted on other sites quite easily and that URL shorteners can mask the actual address you're being linked to.

This kind of prank isn't new. Three years ago, a text exploit made the rounds that caused both Mac and iOS devices to crash.

(Via 9to5Mac.)

Top Rated Comments

S
Scubaman
126 months ago
On my iPad 2 running iOS 10 this seems to be a feature. Not a problem...
You must have a pretty cool iPad2 if it's running ios10 as my iPad3 stopped being capable of upgrade at ios9!!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dugbug Avatar
dugbug
126 months ago
Why is this vulnerability called a prank? Sounds like a remote execution bug like Stage fright on Android.
Where do you see remote execution of code
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
keysofanxiety
126 months ago
soo many bad news for apple..
It's just a software bug and it'll be patched accordingly. Nothing new either.

The bug appears to affect iOS builds as far back as iOS 5
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
C DM
126 months ago
Doesn't "hard reset" mean erase the device to factory settings? I think this just requires a "hard restart".
The terminology has been essentially corrupted through misuse by more and more over period of time. Kind of like "literally" has even been adjusted to mean the opposite of itself as well for similar reasons.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
joelypolly
126 months ago
Why is this vulnerability called a prank? Sounds like a remote execution bug like Stage fright on Android.
probably because it isn't remote execution at this stage if it only can crash a device
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H
H.Finch
126 months ago
On my iPad 2 running iOS 10 this seems to be a feature. Not a problem...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Thursday July 2, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
If you pay for certain iCloud+ storage plans beyond the 5GB that Apple offers for free, you will receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. A summary of the two new iCloud+ perks on iOS 27:Increased daily usage limits for some new Apple Intelligence features, including image generation in the revamped Image Playground app. HomeKit Secure Video cameras receive generated video...
Read Full Article • 51 comments
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Product

Thursday July 2, 2026 8:04 am PDT by
Apple's first product release of summer 2026 occurred this week, but do not get too excited, as it is merely the Beats Solo Buds in a new color. Beats Solo Buds are now offered in orange through Best Buy in the U.S., with availability set to expand to 7-Eleven stores in Japan on July 4. Apple already offered orange Solo Buds in India for free with the purchase of an iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 ...
Read Full Article
iPhone 4 on Black Feature

Apple Facing One of Its Worst Leaks Since the iPhone 4

Thursday July 2, 2026 9:53 am PDT by
Apple supplier Tata Electronics recently suffered a cyberattack that resulted in thousands of confidential files being published on the dark web, and this reportedly included some photos and documents related to the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro. We have elected not to share any of the leaked photos in this story due to the illegal nature in which they were obtained, but they can easily be found...
Read Full Article