Apple fixes AWDL bug that could be used to escape air-gapped networks

guest · Aug 8, 2021

Apple fixes AWDL bug that could be used to escape air-gapped networks
August 7, 2021
https://therecord.media/apple-fixed-awdl-bug-that-could-be-used-to-escape-air-gapped-networks/

Apple has fixed a vulnerability in its Apple Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) technology that could have been abused by threat actors to escape and steal data from air-gapped networks.

Silently patched earlier this spring, in April — with the release of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4, and Big Sur 11.3 — the vulnerability was publicly disclosed for the first time earlier this week in a blog post by Mikko Kenttälä, a Finish security researcher and the founder and CEO of SensorFu.
Click to expand...

Kenttälä discovered the issue in AWDL, a protocol that Apple rolled out in 2014 that allows Apple devices to talk to each other via a Bluetooth or WiFi connection.
As part of its default functionality, the AWDL protocol automatically scans for other nearby Apple devices that come into its range, and it might need to connect in the future.

The technical background of this bug is a bit complicated and explained much better in Kenttälä’s blog post, but to summarize, the researcher effectively found a method to use ICMPv6 and IPv6 packets to take data from an infected system, bounce the packets on a nearby AWDL-capable Apple device, and send the stolen files to another device with an IPv6 address.
Click to expand...

Escaping from a truly air gapped network via Apple AWDL

In the following post I go through how to escape from a truly air gapped network using Apple Wireless Direct Link -network and leveraging information leakage privacy issue in Apple devices. Issue was fixed by Apple on 24th of April 2021 with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 and Big Sur 11.3.
We go through following scenario:

Infected MacBook exists inside of air gapped High Security Network

Anyone brings the iPhone to close physical proximity

MacBook can leak secret data to the Internet via previously unknown iPhone from step 2

Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

Apple fixes AWDL bug that could be used to escape air-gapped networks

guest Guest

Log in or Sign up

Apple fixes AWDL bug that could be used to escape air-gapped networks

guest Guest

Useful Searches