
Apple has not yet addressed a critical security vulnerability in its Find My network.
Apple
Apple's Find My network is an effective tool for locating your devices, but it possesses a significant security flaw that remains unaddressed. Researchers at George Mason University found that the network can be taken advantage of to track nearly any Bluetooth device—not just AirTags or iPhones—by leveraging a combination of Apple's network and a device's Bluetooth address. “It's akin to turning any laptop, smartphone, or even gaming console into an Apple AirTag—without the owner's knowledge,” stated lead author Junming Chen. “And a hacker can execute this remotely, from thousands of miles away, with just a small investment.”
To grasp the exploit, it's essential to understand the workings of the Find My network. For instance, an AirTag sends out a Bluetooth signal to nearby Apple devices, which then anonymously transmits that signal to Apple Cloud. The anonymity is key to the exploit.
Jesse Hollington / Digital Trends / Apple
Because the Find My network is based on encrypted data instead of administrative access, the researchers were able to create a key that adjusts in real-time. They called it “nRootTag,” and alarmingly, it boasts a 90% success rate.
The team tested this exploit on various devices with alarming results. They managed to determine a computer's location within 10 feet and tracked an airplane's flight path (as well as its number) by monitoring a gaming console brought onboard by a passenger. While the experiment showcases the capabilities of the Find My network, it also demonstrates how easily malicious actors could obtain sensitive information. AirTags have previously been misused to track individuals—one reason Apple plans to make the speaker harder to remove in AirTag 2—but nRootTag extends beyond that. The researchers easily traced VR headsets, smart TVs, and many other devices.
Apple
Qiang Zeng, another researcher on the team, emphasized a particularly alarming aspect. “If it's concerning for your smart lock to be compromised, it becomes even more terrifying if the attacker knows its location. With our introduced attack method, the attacker can achieve this.”
The team notified Apple about this security issue in July 2024, and the company has acknowledged it in their update notes. However, no fix has been released yet. The exploit takes advantage of fundamental features within the Find My network, and implementing a remedy that doesn't hinder location tracking will require time—potentially years, as the team indicated.
In the meantime, Chen advises keeping all devices and software up to date and being vigilant about any application requesting Bluetooth permissions, especially if such permissions are unnecessary.
Patrick Hearn covers smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more.
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Apple has not yet addressed a critical security vulnerability in its Find My network.
Researchers from George Mason University uncovered a critical — and potentially extremely harmful — security vulnerability in Apple's Find My network.