AirTag hacked: A security researcher has managed to hack and modify the software of Apple's AirTag. The researcher was able to exploit the AirTag's microcontroller to reprogram components, enabling different functions.
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Apple is trying to keep its products secure, as part of its core ideology of the importance of user privacy. AirTag is a new tracking product that was released a few days ago that allows users to find their important items. It seems that AirTag has also caught the attention of security researchers.
German security researcher “Stack Smashing” revealed on Twitter that he was able to “hack into the microcontroller” of the AirTag. In his posts published on Saturday and first reported by The 8-Bit, some details about the researcher’s hack of the device are given.
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After a few hours of work and many broken tags, the researcher discovered that the microcontroller could be modified. In this way, the researcher demonstrated that it was possible to change the programming of the microcontroller and therefore change the way it operated.
An initial demonstration showed an AirTag with a modified NFC URL for Lost Mode that, when scanned with the researcher's iPhone, displayed a custom URL instead of the usual "found.apple.com" link. The custom address could be a phishing page.
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This technique could be used for malicious purposes, although it is currently unclear how easy it is to do so.
Since AirTag relies on the secure Find My to operate Lost Mode, it's possible that Apple will use a server-side form of defense to counter potential malicious, modified versions.
Source: AppleInsider
