Major security flaw could allow hackers to access iPhones

Apple has moved to fix a major security flaw that could potentially allow hackers to gain access to an individual's iPhone.

The flaw, which was discovered by Tyler Bohan, an engineer working for security tech firm Cisco Talos, enables hackers to create an exploit that can be sent inside a TIFF image file to iPhone owners via a text message. Once the text is opened the malicious code can then be executed within applications without users knowing a thing.

"This is very high-severity issue," Craig Wiliams, head of global outreach at Cisco Talos, told Fortune magazine. "The fact that you have an exploit without any user interaction makes me very concerned."

The exploit also affects other iOS devices such as Apple Watches, as well as OS X Mac software.

Apple has issued a patch for the bug and iPhone owners are advised to download and install iOS 9.3.3 immediately.

To get the latest software, users should go to “Settings”, scroll down to “General” and tap on “Software Update” where they will see instructions to download the update.