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Your iPhone or Mac could be hacked with one iMessage

Security gaps in almost every version of iOS and OS X make your Apple device vulnerable to attack.

Xiomara Blanco Associate Editor / Reviews - Tablets and monitors
Xiomara Blanco is an associate editor for CNET Reviews. She's a Bay Area native with a knack for tech that makes life easier and more enjoyable. So, don't expect her to review printers anytime soon.
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Xiomara Blanco
Watch this: iPhones and Macs may be at risk due to iMessage


If you don't have the latest versions of iOS or OS X on your Apple devices, you might want to go ahead and get on that.

Security vulnerabilities that can allow hackers to access your device by sending you an iMessage are found in almost every version of iOS and OS X, except the latest ones, report Forbes and Quartz.

Discovered by a researcher from Cisco, a hacker could send you a .TIF file (which is a photo file, like .jpg) that, when received, can execute a code that gives the hacker access to your device's internal storage and stored passwords.

In order to avoid this, there are a few simple solutions for the moment: you can update your devices to the latest versions, iOS 9.3.3 or El Capitan 10.11.6, or turn off iMessage.

Apple didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

Watch this: Encrypt your smartphone