Apple to fix bug that allowed Siri to read hidden lock screen notifications

This fix is expected to arrive with iOS 11.3 update.

This bug allowed Siri to read aloud notifications from apps. (REUTERS)

Apple has promised to fix a bug that can allow Siri to read aloud hidden lock screen notifications from many apps on iPhones.

"We are aware of the issue and it will be addressed in an upcoming software update," Apple said in a statement provided to MacRumors.

The fix is likely to come in iOS 11.3, which remains in beta testing, but Apple might also address the problem with a minor update such as iOS 11.2.7, MacRumors reported on Thursday.

As a result of the bug, Siri can read out notification content, even those that are hidden, from a wide selection of apps when someone asks the assistant to do so without verifying whether the command was coming from the owner of the device.

The problem was first reported by Brazilian website MacMagazine earlier this week.

In a test, MacRumors reproduced this issue on an iPhone X running both iOS 11.2.6 and the latest iOS 11.3 beta, while confirming that it does not affect iMessage.

Siri's behaviour becomes a privacy issue because it can read out messages and emails from third-party apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Gmail, even if an iPhone is locked and notifications are hidden, the report said.