iOS 6.1.3 update set to fix iPhone lock-screen bug

Smartphone maker Apple is said to be beta testing the iOS 6.1.3 software update, which will aim to stop hackers bypassing the iPhone lock-screen.

The hack allows anyone to bypass the iPhone lock-screen simply by tapping in a code using the device's power and home buttons, as well as the emergency dialler screen.

Apple pushed out an iOS beta update for developers at the end of last week that (as well as solving the iPhone lock-screen security hole) could eventually stop people using the Evasion jailbreak software, according to Forbes.

The Evasion jailbreak allows iPhone users to run unsigned code on their devices. This, in turn, means users can alter the look and feel of the iOS operating system, and use applications that haven't been downloaded from the Apple App Store.

David Wang, one of Evasion's creators, told Forbes he has analysed the iOS 6.1.3 beta update and discovered that it features patches for at least one of the five bugs the jailbreak exploits.

"If one of the vulnerabilities doesn't work, Evasion doesn't work," explained Wang.

"We could replace that part with a different vulnerability, but [Apple] will probably fix most, if not all, of the bugs we've used when 6.1.3 comes out."

However, Wang claims there is still life in Evasion yet, as it will probably take Apple at least another month to rollout its patch.

News of the iOS 6.1.3 update comes less than a week after Apple was forced to rollout another iOS system update after users complained the operating system was causing havoc with their Microsoft Exchange connections and draining their devices' battery life.