The Chinese government says it can crack encrypted log files on iPhones to identify the sender of messages sent via Apple AirDrop. The device name, email address and mobile phone number can be retrieved from the logs, thus the Chinese authorities, which received help from the Beijing Wangshendongjian Forensic Appraisal Institute.
AirDrop makes it possible to exchange messages and files directly between iPhones, without communicating via the internet. It is possible to receive AirDrops from anyone in the area. Protesters in Hong Kong and China have used AirDrop to spread messages to spark demonstrations. Apple then released an update to restrict the use of AirDrop in China as a demonstration tool.
According to Chinese authorities, AirDrop can be used to illegally distribute images, videos, photos and other files, as well as “misinformation.” “Because AirDrop does not require an internet connection, this behavior cannot be effectively monitored through conventional network monitoring, which has become a challenge for security agencies in troubleshooting these types of cases,” authorities said.
They state that things such as device name, email address and mobile phone number are stored as hash values in the log files of iPhones. Through a rainbow table it is possible to retrieve telephone numbers and e-mail addresses that correspond to these values. Several suspects have already been arrested using the method, the authorities said.
2024-01-10 14:19:34
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