iMessage intercepted!

[dmoore210]

I started talking to someone on iMessage today and all the sudden random texts were appearing as if coming from ME!
I ended up 'texting myself' and talking to this guy. He has no sim card, just an apple ID. nothing matches although we are both getting the same imessages. WTF. This is a serious problem. Anyone else experience this? Or know how to fix it?
I tried logging out of imessage and back in. Nothing.

 

[soco]

What? Explain with more detail, because I don't get it. Are you saying someone is logged in on their phone with your Apple ID and talking as you via iMessage?

 

[Wild-Bill]

Sounds like your MobileMe or iCloud ID has been compromised.

 

[clark85]

What do you mean by "random texts": just random stuff apearing in your conversation ? (that looks like you have written it?)

In this case I would point at a compromised appleID on your side. A bug that produces this kind of error seems unlikely.

 

[dmoore210]

Let me clarify. It's not random texts. I was chatting with a friend on iMessage then we both got a message (apparently from me) that said 'who it this. I dont know you'
And I continued to get many texts from some 3rd party who seemed to have my phone number as their own.
I texted myself and was able to talk to this guy because we are both under the same number or something. He says he does not have any services provider, no AT&T or sprint or anything.
I told him to go to 'settings -> messages -> recieved at' and tell me what he says. And low and behold, he sees MY phone number. But no apple ID or email (as from what he says) how can this even happen...

 

[verwon]

Have you sold an old phone? This has happened to several people that sold one that they were using with iMessage and didn't properly deactivate.

 

[dmoore210]

I have but I restored and set up the phone as a new phone and everything. How do I make sure I make them sign out of everything? I don't think settings->general->reset will work? I think I did that before I sold it. Thanks for the help!

 

[dave420]

I have but I restored and set up the phone as a new phone and everything. How do I make sure I make them sign out of everything? I don't think settings->general->reset will work? I think I did that before I sold it. Thanks for the help!

It does sound like a weird bug. Did you leave a sim card in it? There are a number of different posts about it. Definitely sounds like something Apple needs to address.

 

[dmoore210]

Talking to apple right now and it appears if your phone is not connected to any network you can go into "Settings->Phone" and edit 'my number' to be any number you want. And therefore start intercepting and imessages to and from that number. At least that's what this representative is telling me... If that's the case this is a serious security and privacy bug.

 

[verwon]

Before restoring an iOS device, you need to deactivate iMessage, then do a full erase and restore.

A gent on icafe has this happening, because he put his sim back in the phone to confirm it was working, before he shipped it to the buyer.

 

[dmoore210]

So is there any fix I can tell this guy instead of just simply 'turning off' imessage? Any way to deactivate? He says under settings->message->recieve at.. there is no apple ID to even remove...

 

[verwon]

He should probably try doing a full wipe. That's the only thing I can think of that might work.

 

[Mliii]

I've had this exact same problem (along with others who have posted on this site) and have not seen a fix, an explanation or a confirmation about the issue from Apple...
In my case, someone sent messages to a person I had been iMessaging and they appeared to be coming from me. What was being sent was very inappropriate and it took me a while to convince the person I was texting that I wasn't sending the messages...

 

[athens]

Talking to apple right now and it appears if your phone is not connected to any network you can go into "Settings->Phone" and edit 'my number' to be any number you want. And therefore start intercepting and imessages to and from that number. At least that's what this representative is telling me... If that's the case this is a serious security and privacy bug.

I would say. But iMessage is based on the AppleID only not the phone number. It by passes the carrier totally. This is why iMessage works on iPads and iPods too. Have you given away or sold any iOS devices in the past that might still have your Apple ID on it?

 

[dotme]

But iMessage is based on the AppleID only not the phone number. It by passes the carrier totally. This is why iMessage works on iPads and iPods too.

Not strictly true. The phone number is "tied" to the Apple account. Changing the Apple ID doesn't help, as the Apple account is still the same. So yes, once again, iMessage is proving to be less than well-thought-through.

 

[xraydoc]

Talking to apple right now and it appears if your phone is not connected to any network you can go into "Settings->Phone" and edit 'my number' to be any number you want. And therefore start intercepting and imessages to and from that number. At least that's what this representative is telling me... If that's the case this is a serious security and privacy bug.

So you're saying I could put my phone in airplane mode (disconnect from network) and change the phone number ID in iMessage's settings? Hmmm. I'll try it but if it actually allows it this would be a critical bug.

Tried it. Can't change the number.

 

[truz]

So is there any fix I can tell this guy instead of just simply 'turning off' imessage? Any way to deactivate? He says under settings->message->recieve at.. there is no apple ID to even remove...

Change your .mac password. Should fix the problem. Always remove the sim card before selling and do a restore on the iPhone. Perfect time to update passwords as well.

 

[mc2thearson]

Talking to apple right now and it appears if your phone is not connected to any network you can go into "Settings->Phone" and edit 'my number' to be any number you want. And therefore start intercepting and imessages to and from that number. At least that's what this representative is telling me... If that's the case this is a serious security and privacy bug.

Anyone have a couple friends with iPhones that can put this to the test? Seems to strange to be plausible (maybe the rep you're talking to is confused).

What would stop someone from pulling their sim card out temporarily, and then just changing their number to... Well whatever!?!

Wouldn't this mean too that say you suspected your girlfriend of infidelity or something, that you could pull that same trick, and essentially "wait in the shadows" of the iMessage world for texts that are lude or inappropriate?

I'm not convinced. I guess I've got maybe too much faith in apple?

 

[wackymacky]

Talking to apple right now and it appears if your phone is not connected to any network you can go into "Settings->Phone" and edit 'my number' to be any number you want. And therefore start intercepting and imessages to and from that number. At least that's what this representative is telling me... If that's the case this is a serious security and privacy bug.

I'm not sure this is correct.

isn’t message tied to the Apple ID, not your phone number.?

Hence this phone (the IMEI) that is still linked to your apple ID?

If you have been using the same Apple ID as an iTab (iTunes purchase) account you could look to see if this device is associated with your account. Likewise, does it appear in findmyiphone?

 

[Hf44]

Are you using a GSM carrier? i currently am running on tmobile on my iphone 4, and to get passed the ios 5 activation screen, i used a buddy of mines AT&T simcard. after i set it up and gave him back his simcard, we realized all of his imessages were coming to my iphone, which his simcard activated. i then used samprefs and got my imessage and facetime working and i stoped getting his imessages.

 

[CrAkD]

if you sold an iphone an activated it with your sim before giving it to the new owner this will happen. even with no apple id typed in. because your sim was once in the phone it can send and receive imessages over wifi from your phone number. when i sold mine i did a full restore and didnt even activate it.

 

[Mliii]

if you sold an iphone an activated it with your sim before giving it to the new owner this will happen. even with no apple id typed in. because your sim was once in the phone it can send and receive imessages over wifi from your phone number. when i sold mine i did a full restore and didnt even activate it.

Unfortunately, that's not my situation. I didn't sell anything, still have my iPhone 4 and I have changed my password...

 

[FlemmingA320]

my messages are also intercepted

I am experiencing the exact same thing!! When i SMS with my wife (iMessage) she get's weird responses to our conversation from me that we can only see on her phone in our conversation. And apparently who ever is listening in, they can read our conversation, since they are answers to our conversation - but i never wrote some of the texts she gets in the middle of our conversation.

What's going on and is this a bug in iMessage or what?

 

[afroAnt]

This is really interesting. Apple needs to fix this up immediately!

 

[barredfreak]

This is something new. I've never seen anything like it. Call Apple and tell them about it. They'll help you resolve your issue.