Security Researchers Develop Framework for Tracking Bluetooth Devices Using Find My
Ahead of the debut of AirTags and support for locating third-party Bluetooth items through Find My in iOS 14.5, a team of security researchers from the Secure Mobile Networking Lab at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany has reverse engineered the Find My protocol and developed an app that's designed to let anyone create an "AirTag" based on a Bluetooth-capable device.
Called OpenHaystack, the app and the source code are available on GitHub for those who are interested in taking a look. The app allows users to create their own Bluetooth tags based on the Find My network by installing an "AirTag" firmware image on a Bluetooth dongle.
The app displays the most recent location of a created Bluetooth tag reported by any iPhone using Apple's Find My network that was implemented in iOS 13, plus it shows the location of the tag on a map.
According to the security researchers, the created tags send out Bluetooth beacons, which are picked up by nearby iPhones that interpret the sending device as lost. The current geolocation is end-to-end encrypted and then uploaded to Apple, with the OpenHaystack app then downloading the encrypted report from Apple and decrypting it locally on the Mac.
In the process of developing this tool, the Secure Mobile Networking Lab researchers also identified a macOS Catalina Find My vulnerability that was reported to Apple and addressed in a 10.15.7 update released back in November. The vulnerability allowed a malicious app to access iCloud decryption keys to download and decrypt location reports submitted by the Find My network.
Apple's iOS 14.5 update includes support for tracking third-party Bluetooth devices in the Find My app using a new "Items" tab, which takes advantage of the same Find My protocol used for the Mac app.
At the current time, in-app tracking is limited to Beats headphones and upcoming Belkin wireless earbuds, but in the future, many third-party Bluetooth devices may include Find My integration, making it easier to keep track of them. This system will also be used by Apple's own rumored AirTags, which have yet to be released.
Popular Stories
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025:
More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
If you've been hearing a chiming sound from your AirPods Pro 2 case when the AirPods are charging, it's a feature that Apple added with the launch of Hearing Health last year.
In a support guide, Apple says that the AirPods Pro may play a sound every so often while in the case to ensure the microphones and speakers are working as intended. From Apple:
To help ensure that your AirPods...
It was recently reported that new Apple TV and new HomePod mini models will launch this year, and the devices are expected to have one thing in common.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month reported that the new Apple TV and the new HomePod mini will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. Gurman said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, so that could end up being a key upgrade...
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
This year's iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a smaller main camera sensor than the one used in the Fusion camera currently found in iPhone 16 Pro models, according to Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station.
The Chinese leaker claims that Apple will adopt a 1/1.3" sensor for the 48MP main camera in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, down from the 1/1.28" sensor used in the iPhone 16...
A new iPhone SE and an iPad 11 might be coming very soon.
In late December, a private account on X with a track record of leaking accurate iOS-related information said devices codenamed "V59" and "J481" will be released alongside iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that "V59" is a new iPhone SE, and that "J481" is a new entry-level iPad.
iOS 15.3, iOS ...
Apple's annual "Back to School" or "Back to Uni" promotion has returned this week in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea.
From January 8 through March 13, qualifying higher-education students and staff in these countries can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation with the purchase of any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac, or a free Apple Pencil Pro or Apple...
Apple is widely rumored to be planning a new iPhone SE, and multiple sources lately have commented on the device's launch timing.
The latest word comes from Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a blog post today, he said the device will be released around the middle of the first half of 2025. In other words, around the quarter mark of 2025. That means the next iPhone SE will likely be ...