iPhone Users Issued Urgent Warning After Major Flaw

Yahoo

06-05-2025

Billions of iPhone users and Apple device owners worldwide are being warned to update their devices immediately after a major security flaw puts them at risk of malware attacks.
Apple's AirPlay feature conveniently enables Apple devices to seamlessly integrate with other devices, allowing iPhones and Macbooks to play music or show videos on other Apple devices or third-party speakers and televisions. However, that same technology has also opened up those devices to a major security flaw.
As first reported by Wired this week, the cybersecurity firm Oligo revealed a security flaw in Apple's Airplay software that allowed devices to be hacked if the hackers were connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the devices which includes public places like airports, coffee shops, or even your work office.
The flaw, which Oligo has named "AirBorne" could allow hackers to deploy malware, snoop on your private data, or even eavesdrop on your conversations using microphones in the devices.
Apple told Wired that it has patched the bugs on its own devices in recent months, so iPhone and Macbook users have been urged to make sure their devices are up to date.
However, even if your Apple device is up to date, that does not necessarily mean you are safe from potential hacks, because third-party devices are vulnerable to the attacks, too.
Oligo's chief technology officer and co-founder Gal Elbaz estimates that there are tens of millions of third-party AirPlay-enabled devices that are potentially vulnerable to attacks – gadgets like smart TVs or Bluetooth speakers, even if they are not in use. The vulnerability even applies to CarPlay, putting the car's automotive computer at risk of a hack.
'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.'
These third-party devices are likely to remain hackable unless users intentionally act to update them. And even if you update all of your devices, you still could be at risk from someone else's device that has not been updated if it is connected to the same public Wi-Fi network at the airport, a coffee shop, or even at work.
'The amount of devices that were vulnerable to these issues, that's what alarms me,' says Oligo researcher Uri Katz. 'When was the last time you updated your speaker?'
Apple has worked with its certified third-party partners to come up with a security patch, but the risk will still remain from other manufacturers who might incorporate Apple's AirPlay feature without notifying Apple and becoming a "certified" AirPlay device. These devices might never receive a patch.
As for how you can best keep yourself secure from malware attacks and hacks, make sure all of your AirPlay-enabled devices are up to date and be wary of which Wi-Fi networks you connect to your devices.