Cybersecurity researchers uncovered dangerous iPhone flaws that let hackers infiltrate any device linked to the same WiFi network.
The team at Oligo Security discovered 23 vulnerabilities in AirPlay, which allows users to stream audio, video and photos from Apple devices to other smart devices.
Oligo Security named the security flaws and the attacks they enable ‘AirBorne’ because the attacks are transmitted via wireless networks and allow hackers to ‘fully take over devices’ and exploit them.
The team warned that cybercriminals can exploit the AirPlay bugs to execute malicious code, steal your personal information, cause the device to crash and listen to conversations.
The firm reported these vulnerabilities to Apple, which released software updates for iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Vision Pro devices to fix the bugs on March 31.
An Apple spokesperson told DailyMail.com that that attackers can only exploit these flaws if they are on the same Wi-Fi network as the device they are targeting.
But according to Oligo, some third-party devices that are compatible with AirPlay may still be vulnerable if their manufacturers do not provide timely updates.
Oligo estimated that the number of third-party AirPlay-enabled devices at risk are in the tens of millions.
Nearly two dozen security flaws in Apple’s AirPlay technology are leaving your iPhone vulnerable to attacks from hackers, experts have warned
‘Because AirPlay is supported in such a wide variety of devices, there are a lot that will take years to patch — or they will never be patched,’ Elbaz told Wired.
‘And it’s all because of vulnerabilities in one piece of software that affects everything.’
Unless you update these these third-party devices, they are likely to remain hackable, Elbaz said.
This means that if a hacker manages to get onto the same Wi-Fi network as one of these devices, they can gain control of them and then use them as a point of access to infiltrate other devices on the network.
So, even if your Apple devices are up-to-date, that doesn’t mean they’re totally protected from hackers who may exploit these AirPlay vulnerabilities.
To prevent yourself from being hacked, you should make sure that the latest software is installed on all your Apple devices.
And for added peace of mind, you can disable the AirPlay feature too.
When AirPlay is turned on, your device is constantly broadcasting and listening for AirPlay signals in the background, even when you’re not actively using the feature.
To prevent yourself from being hacked, you should make sure that the latest software is installed on all your Apple devices. You can also disable the AirPlay feature
Turning it off stops the device from doing this, thus removing the ‘attack surface’ — the access points through which hackers can take control of your device.
To disable AirPlay on your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap ‘General,’ then ‘AirPlay & Continuity.’
At the top of the menu, you will see a tab called ‘Automatically AirPlay.’ Tap that, then select the ‘Never’ option to turn the feature off.
To protect the third-party devices you use the AirPlay feature with, check with the manufacturer to see if they have released any security updates recently.
