Many people have talked about the Smart Cover accessory for the iPad and how cool it is… Little do they know that this product is actually prone to a security flaw that affects the tablet. 9to5Mac reports that a locked iPad 2 with password can become unlocked if you perform some actions and use the Smart Cover.
What you need to do is use a locked iPad 2, hold the power button till the “Slide to Power Off” message appears and then close the Smart Cover on top of it. If you lift the cover and tap “Cancel”, the tablet will become unlocked, but only allow you to access the last app that was used…. and if that’s the messages app you’re in big trouble.
Also, people could view your contacts, the dubious site you were browsing or even your email. The good thing here is that at least you’re not granted full access to someone else’s iPad. The bug appears in iOS 5, but users have also noticed it in iOS 4.3. The fix right now is to turn off Smart Cover unlocking, but I expect this to be solved with the next software update.
