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Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

positive.security

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Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#51

Post by blantonl »

mhandley wrote: post #32

As there's a limit of 16 AirTags per Apple ID, and each AirTag's keys rotate every 15 minutes, presumably Apple can detect if anyone is abusing the system by sending more than 16 different "messages" per 15 minutes. They can't detect this when the fake airtags are sending, but can detect it from stored message timestamps when you query. If they start to see this being abused a lot, they can then block Apple IDs. To a…

for nation states and interested parties, these seem like trivial restrictions considering the value of now having a deployed mobile mesh network of 1 billion + devices available for free.

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#52

Post by dividuum »

jquery wrote: post #41
tyingq wrote: post #38

Sounds like you could drive someone a bit crazy with Apple's "AirTag Found Moving With You" feature, since you could rotate serial numbers. Like gluing one of these to their car in someplace not obvious.

If there’s abuse, you can count on a “report” button showing up. Or at least a “don’t show me this” tied to a specific AirTag

An iPhone (or any other receiver except the tag owner) cannot really correlate tags over a long time except using heuristics.

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#53

Post by spoonjim »

thatcherc wrote: post #23

I was wondering if something like could be done to upload sensor data without a data connection and it looks like that's exactly what the authors here had in mind!: > Potential use cases > While I was mostly just curious about whether it would be possible, I wouldimagine the most common use case to be uploading sensor readings or any data from IoT devices without a broadband modem, SIM card, data plan or Wifi connect…

I recall a mechanism like this used to deliver email in rural India. There were basically email “kiosks” which would let you receive and send mail for a fee and would store these messages locally until a truck with the company’s transponder stopped at the village, at which point it would send the data to the truck which would upload the data to the Internet when it reached the city. Obviously obviated by mobile data.

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#54

Post by tinus_hn »

tyingq wrote: post #39
fiberoptick wrote: post #7

This could have been an immensely powerful covert communications channel for field operators of military and intelligence services

It feels like Apple's ability to fix this is somewhat limited, since they can't change anything about Airtags that have already been produced.

AirTags run firmware that can be remotely upgraded.

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#55

Post by tinus_hn »

cerved wrote: post #19
protoman3000 wrote: post #8

So if now somebody uses this to upload illegal material somewhere from my IP I am fucked?

yes, at a staggering rate of 3 bytes a second

It’s DMCA proof, because once you’re done uploading a movie the copyright will have expired!

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#56

Post by tialaramex »

mhandley wrote: post #32

As there's a limit of 16 AirTags per Apple ID, and each AirTag's keys rotate every 15 minutes, presumably Apple can detect if anyone is abusing the system by sending more than 16 different "messages" per 15 minutes. They can't detect this when the fake airtags are sending, but can detect it from stored message timestamps when you query. If they start to see this being abused a lot, they can then block Apple IDs. To a…

Suppose a real AirTag owner is wondering where their lost tag is. Although it would be ideal to learn where it is right now they'd be somewhat happy to know where an iPhone "saw" it two hours ago, or indeed a week ago... and Apple's system deliberately stores up to a week of data.

A week is about 700 keys to check. For one "lost" device, but as you note Apple are happy for you to buy more than a dozen, and of course you wouldn't be happy if Apple tells you that you must only track one of those.

Apple has no way to know if your check for 7000 keys is, in fact, ten devices for a week, or 7000 unrelated queries, it deliberately doesn't know how to relate the keys to one or more tags.

So while yes, that would mean if you have a long term sensor network Apple could block you using it to move more than a few bytes per hour per Apple ID (Apple IDs are free) if you have a more nefarious motive to move say a kilobyte in an hour or two, once every few weeks, that should work fine.

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#57

Post by paxys »

vanshg wrote: post #45

Apple should embrace this fully and create their own decentralized network

It is only decentralized if the entire world is covered in Apple devices every few meters. At the moment they are simply extensions to a nearby router or cell tower.

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#58

Post by mediaman »

londons_explore wrote: post #26
codeecan wrote: post #3

Would be cool if Apple released a iPod touch with pager functionality that works thru find my network. Where you can send / receive short messages (even with 15 min delays).

Every message uploaded to the "Find My" network very slightly degrades the user experience for all Apple users - since it is using up CPU cycles, battery and bandwidth of random strangers iPhones. I wonder what the capacity of the network is before the impact on battery life becomes significant...

It uses BLE (I believe), and data upload can be combined with other requests on the iPhone's next cellular connection request. CPU use is going to be extremely minimal. BLE power usage for a low data rate transmission is very, very low.

I don't really see any realistic density of AirTags that would have any measurable impact on energy use of nearby iPhones.

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#59

Post by tyingq »

thebean11 wrote: post #47
tyingq wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It feels like Apple's ability to fix this is somewhat limited, since they can't change anything about Airtags that have already been produced.

Couldn't a software change on the iPhone side prevent it?

I can't find anything that shows OTA firmware updates of the tags themselves happening. Yes, you could tweak the iPhone, but if a "emulated tag" looks exactly like a "real tag that can't be updated", you're somewhat limited.

Re: Emulating AirTags to upload arbitrary data via Apple's FindMy network

#60

Post by tyingq »

tinus_hn wrote: post #54
tyingq wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It feels like Apple's ability to fix this is somewhat limited, since they can't change anything about Airtags that have already been produced.

AirTags run firmware that can be remotely upgraded.

Any more info on "can be"? For existing AirTags, they would have to already have that functionality (polling for updates). I can't find anything that says they do.
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