Hack Apple’s Find My network to locate and steal lost items: Security internals and new bugs 📱🧭🧳🔎😈
Security researchers Zhenyu Ren, Yanbo Zhang, Boya Liu, and Mo Li published their research on Apple’s Find My network, how it works, and the ways it leaks data about your lost items that may - and likely will - help others locate your stuff and steal it.
These are the facts:
Find My must make lost devices discoverable.
Anti-stalking protections must help strangers detect hidden trackers.
Combined, 1 and 2 help thieves locate and steal lost property.
How it works:
🏷️ For AirTags and AirPods, a non-owner can trigger the device’s anti-stalking sound. A phone microphone then helps determine the direction of the sound.
⌚ For silent devices such as iPhones and Apple Watches, the system the authors developed uses Bluetooth signal strength and the attacker’s phone-motion sensors to estimate whether they are moving closer.
If you’re into the Apple ecosystem or RF cybersecurity, this will be a super fun read for you. Enjoy, and share it with people who use AirTags! :)
More details:
Snatcher: Apple Find My Network Exposes Your Lost Devices To Strangers [PDF]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.21067
