Latest news with #AirPlaySoftwareDevelopmentKit
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Time of India
Apple's AirPlay system may have major security flaws that can allow hackers to hijack devices, researchers claim
Image credit: Oligo Apple's popular AirPlay feature has been found to contain major security flaws that could leave users vulnerable to hackers, a report claims. Researchers at cybersecurity firm Oligo have discovered that these vulnerabilities could allow attackers to hijack compatible devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network. AirPlay is a protocol that enables users to stream audio, video, or photos seamlessly from their Apple devices to other Apple devices or third-party gadgets that integrate the technology. A total of 23 vulnerabilities, collectively named 'AirBorne,' were reportedly identified. These flaws were present in both Apple's own AirPlay protocol and the AirPlay Software Development Kit (SDK), which third-party vendors use to make their devices compatible. Researchers share a video to show how this security flaw can affect users In their video demonstration, the researchers showed how an attacker on the same network could exploit an AirPlay-enabled Bose speaker, launch a remote code execution (RCE) attack, and display the 'AirBorne' logo on its screen. They warned that a similar technique could feasibly be used to infiltrate any microphone-equipped device for espionage purposes. In a statement to Wired, Oligo CTO Gal Elbaz said that the number of potentially vulnerable devices could be in the millions. '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. And it's all because of vulnerabilities in one piece of software that affects everything,' Elbaz explained to Wired. Oligo also disclosed the vulnerabilities to Apple earlier and has been collaborating with the company for several months on patches before releasing their research to the public. Apple even issued updates addressing these issues in March for devices running iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4, and visionOS 2.4. However, third-party products that implement the AirPlay protocol are still at risk, as manufacturers have to distribute their firmware updates for users to install to close the exposure. Meanwhile, Apple told Wired that while it has created patches for these third-party devices, it stressed that there are 'limitations' to the attacks that would be possible on AirPlay-enabled devices due to the bugs. The researchers also noted that CarPlay-equipped systems remain at risk, since hackers can carry out an RCE attack if they are nearby and 'the device has a default, predictable, or known Wi-Fi hotspot password.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Urgent warning to iPhone users: Turn off popular feature and take these steps for safety
Apple's AirPlay feature is beloved by many users — but it can leave you vulnerable to hackers. Researchers at cybersecurity firm Oligo found major security flaws in Apple AirPlay that allow hackers to hijack compatible devices on the same Wi-Fi network. AirPlay allows users to seamlessly stream audio, video or photos from their Apple device to another Apple device or third-party gadgets that integrate the protocol. The 23 vulnerabilities, dubbed 'AirBorne,' were found both in Apple's AirPlay protocol and the AirPlay Software Development Kit (SDK) used by third-party vendors to make devices AirPlay compatible, Wired reported. Researchers demonstrated in a video how vulnerabilities can be exposed to hackers by accessing an AirPlay-enabled Bose speaker on the same network and remotely executing a Remote Code Execution (RCE) attack, showing the 'AirBorne' logo on the speaker's display. They claimed that hackers realistically can use a similar strategy to gain access to devices with microphones for espionage. Oligo CTO Gal Elbaz told Wired that the total number of exposed devices could potentially be in the millions. '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 explained. 'And it's all because of vulnerabilities in one piece of software that affects everything.' The risks were reported to Apple in the late fall and winter of last year, and Oligo worked with the tech giant for months on fixes before publishing their findings Tuesday. Apple devices with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4 and visionOS 2.4 had fixes rolled out on March 31. However, third-party devices that support AirPlay protocol remain vulnerable. The researchers said that manufacturers would need to roll out updates for users to install themselves in order to avoid being exposed to hackers. Apple told Wired that it created patches available for these third-party devices, but it emphasized that there are 'limitations' to the attacks that would be possible on AirPlay-enabled devices due to the bugs. CarPlay-equipped systems are also at risk, the researchers noted, since hackers can carry out an RCE attack if they are near the unit and 'the device has a default, predictable, or known Wi-Fi hotspot password.' According to the report, there are several ways to help protect your device from the threat of hackers: Update your devices: Researchers stressed that devices and other machines that support AirPlay need to be updated immediately to the latest software versions to mitigate potential security risks. Disable AirPlay Receiver: Oligo recommends fully disabling the AirPlay feature when not in use. Only AirPlay to trusted devices: Limit AirPlay communication and stream content to only trusted devices. Restrict AirPlay Settings: Go to Settings > AirPlay & Continuity (or AirPlay & Handoff) and select Current User for the 'Allow AirPlay for' option. 'While this does not prevent all of the issues mentioned in the report, it does reduce the protocol's attack surface,' researchers noted. Disable on public Wi-Fi: It's best to avoid enabling or using AirPlay when on a public Wi-Fi network.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Urgent warning to iPhone users: Turn off popular feature and take these steps for safety
Apple's AirPlay feature is beloved by many users — but it can leave you vulnerable to hackers. Researchers at cybersecurity firm Oligo found major security flaws in Apple AirPlay that allow hackers to hijack compatible devices on the same Wi-Fi network. AirPlay allows users to seamlessly stream audio, video or photos from their Apple device to another Apple device or third-party gadgets that integrate the protocol. The 23 vulnerabilities, dubbed 'AirBorne,' were found both in Apple's AirPlay protocol and the AirPlay Software Development Kit (SDK) used by third-party vendors to make devices AirPlay compatible, Wired reported. Researchers demonstrated in a video how vulnerabilities can be exposed to hackers by accessing an AirPlay-enabled Bose speaker on the same network and remotely executing a Remote Code Execution (RCE) attack, showing the 'AirBorne' logo on the speaker's display. They claimed that hackers realistically can use a similar strategy to gain access to devices with microphones for espionage. Oligo CTO Gal Elbaz told Wired that the total number of exposed devices could potentially be in the millions. '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 explained. 'And it's all because of vulnerabilities in one piece of software that affects everything.' The risks were reported to Apple in the late fall and winter of last year, and Oligo worked with the tech giant for months on fixes before publishing their findings Tuesday. Apple devices with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4 and visionOS 2.4 had fixes rolled out on March 31. However, third-party devices that support AirPlay protocol remain vulnerable. The researchers said that manufacturers would need to roll out updates for users to install themselves in order to avoid being exposed to hackers. Apple told Wired that it created patches available for these third-party devices, but it emphasized that there are 'limitations' to the attacks that would be possible on AirPlay-enabled devices due to the bugs. CarPlay-equipped systems are also at risk, the researchers noted, since hackers can carry out an RCE attack if they are near the unit and 'the device has a default, predictable, or known Wi-Fi hotspot password.' According to the report, there are several ways to help protect your device from the threat of hackers: Update your devices: Researchers stressed that devices and other machines that support AirPlay need to be updated immediately to the latest software versions to mitigate potential security risks. Disable AirPlay Receiver: Oligo recommends fully disabling the AirPlay feature when not in use. Only AirPlay to trusted devices: Limit AirPlay communication and stream content to only trusted devices. Restrict AirPlay Settings: Go to Settings > AirPlay & Continuity (or AirPlay & Handoff) and select Current User for the 'Allow AirPlay for' option. 'While this does not prevent all of the issues mentioned in the report, it does reduce the protocol's attack surface,' researchers noted. Disable on public Wi-Fi: It's best to avoid enabling or using AirPlay when on a public Wi-Fi network.
New York Post
20-05-2025
- New York Post
Urgent warning to iPhone users — turn off popular feature and take these steps for safety
Apple's AirPlay feature is beloved by many users — but it can leave you vulnerable to hackers. Researchers at cybersecurity firm Oligo found major security flaws in Apple AirPlay that allow hackers to hijack compatible devices on the same Wi-Fi network. AirPlay allows users to seamlessly stream audio, video or photos from their Apple device to another Apple device or third-party gadgets that integrate the protocol. The 23 vulnerabilities, dubbed 'AirBorne,' were found both in Apple's AirPlay protocol and the AirPlay Software Development Kit (SDK) used by third-party vendors to make devices AirPlay compatible, Wired reported. Researchers demonstrated in a video how vulnerabilities can be exposed to hackers by accessing an AirPlay-enabled Bose speaker on the same network and remotely executing a Remote Code Execution (RCE) attack, showing the 'AirBorne' logo on the speaker's display. They claimed that hackers realistically can use a similar strategy to gain access to devices with microphones for espionage. Oligo CTO Gal Elbaz told Wired that the total number of exposed devices could potentially be in the millions. '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 explained. 'And it's all because of vulnerabilities in one piece of software that affects everything.' Oligo CTO Gal Elbaz told Wired that the total number of exposed devices could potentially be in the millions. Gorodenkoff – The risks were reported to Apple in the late fall and winter of last year, and Oligo worked with the tech giant for months on fixes before publishing their findings Tuesday. Apple devices with iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, macOS Ventura 13.7.5, macOS Sonoma 14.7.5, macOS Sequoia 15.4 and visionOS 2.4 had fixes rolled out on March 31. However, third-party devices that support AirPlay protocol remain vulnerable. The researchers said that manufacturers would need to roll out updates for users to install themselves in order to avoid being exposed to hackers. AirPlay allows users to seamlessly stream audio, video or photos from their Apple device to another device. DenPhoto – Apple told Wired that it created patches available for these third-party devices, but it emphasized that there are 'limitations' to the attacks that would be possible on AirPlay-enabled devices due to the bugs. CarPlay-equipped systems are also at risk, the researchers noted, since hackers can carry out an RCE attack if they are near the unit and 'the device has a default, predictable, or known Wi-Fi hotspot password.' According to the report, there are several ways to help protect your device from the threat of hackers: Update your devices: Researchers stressed that devices and other machines that support AirPlay need to be updated immediately to the latest software versions to mitigate potential security risks. Researchers stressed that devices and other machines that support AirPlay need to be updated immediately to the latest software versions to mitigate potential security risks. Disable AirPlay Receiver: Oligo recommends fully disabling the AirPlay feature when not in use. Oligo recommends fully disabling the AirPlay feature when not in use. Only AirPlay to trusted devices: Limit AirPlay communication and stream content to only trusted devices. Limit AirPlay communication and stream content to only trusted devices. Restrict AirPlay Settings: Go to Settings > AirPlay & Continuity (or AirPlay & Handoff) and select Current User for the 'Allow AirPlay for' option. 'While this does not prevent all of the issues mentioned in the report, it does reduce the protocol's attack surface,' researchers noted. Go to Settings > AirPlay & Continuity (or AirPlay & Handoff) and select Current User for the 'Allow AirPlay for' option. 'While this does not prevent all of the issues mentioned in the report, it does reduce the protocol's attack surface,' researchers noted. Disable on public Wi-Fi: It's best to avoid enabling or using AirPlay when on a public Wi-Fi network.
