Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Jun 30
Apple Fixes 1 of 3 AirDrop Flaws That Can Crash iPhone and Mac Services
Updated
Updated · 9to5Mac · Jun 30

Apple Fixes 1 of 3 AirDrop Flaws That Can Crash iPhone and Mac Services

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Jun 30

Summary

  • Apple has patched one of three newly disclosed AirDrop vulnerabilities and assigned it a CVE, while two remaining flaws affecting iPhone and Mac are still under coordinated disclosure.
  • Three bugs let a nearby attacker with a Wi-Fi laptop remotely crash AirDrop-related processes from roughly 10 to 30 meters away, with no pairing, contact exchange or shared network required.
  • One short malformed request can knock out AirDrop, AirPlay, Handoff, Universal Clipboard and Continuity Camera at once, and repeated requests can keep those services unavailable until the attack stops.
  • Researchers said the flaws do not expose user data but reflect a broader pre-authentication weakness in proximity-sharing systems; similar issues were also found in Android Quick Share.

Insights

Why do Apple's and Android's file-sharing apps suffer from the same critical security flaws?
A nearby attacker can disable your iPhone's key services. With most bugs unpatched, are you safe?