An airplane supposedly flying out of San Francisco International Airport was evacuated after a teen AirDropped airsoft gun images to the passengers' phones.
The airline staff had to announce that there was an emergency threat to their flight. Thus, all passengers are required to undergo rescreening and deboarding due to "an abundance of caution," the Airport Spokesperson, Doug Yakel, said.
What is AirDrop?
For Android users, as per Gizmodo, AirDrop is an exclusive Apple device feature that enables its users to send media files without the need for wires or third-party apps.
It is to note that, as such, iOS or Mac users can send their photos or videos from one device to another at certain proximity.
Although there is an option to strictly only receive files from their contract, some AirDrop users leave it open to everyone.
Some perhaps may do it for the sake of convenience, or they do not have any idea that it is a risky option.
As such, some users end up receiving random notifications alerting them that someone is attempting to send an unsolicited image. The extent of AirDrop's vulnerability left a whopping 1.5 billion Apple users in danger.
Nevertheless, Apple did not respond to the findings involving the vulnerability of AirDrop.
Airplane Flight Delayed
Meanwhile, SFGate reported that the United Airlines flight 2167, which was bound to Orlando International Airport, was due to leave the airport at exactly 2 p.m.
However, the airplane faced a couple of hiccups before it got caught in a teenage prank.
Read Also: Photos Confirm Android 11's Upcoming File Sharing New Feature 'Fast Share' to Mimic Apple's AirDrop
Teen AirDrops Airsoft Gun Images to Plane Passengers
Christopher J. Beale, the son of one of the passengers of the evacuated flight, said in a tweet that a random teenager sent photos to passengers' phones, adding that the culprit even made threats.
It was later figured out, after evacuating the whole United Airlines flight, that the photos sent to the passengers turn out to be taken at an earlier date than the incident. Also, it was determined that the culprit did not possess any airsoft gun.
That said, the staff went on to reboard the flight passengers except for the teen that sent the photos and caused panic. The unnamed prankster was then banned from the flight.
However, AppleInsider noted that it is unclear if the culprit is facing any legal consequences due to the incident.
Furthermore, it is also unknown how the flight personnel identified the person behind the mess. Nevertheless, Gizmodo speculated that the culprit must have forgotten to change the name of his device, which appears at the receiver's end.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Teejay Boris
