iPhone users are being warned to disable a feature to stay safe from hackers.
The recent iOS update brought tonnes of handy features and upgrades to the iPhone user experience.
Some are more underrated than others and then there are others that might leave your device wide open to hackers.
Cybersecurity experts are warning about Apple’s AirPlay system, thanks to a group of nasty flaws being called ‘AirBorne.’
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The team at Oligo Security found 23 vulnerabilities in AirPlay, which allows users to stream audio, video and photos from Apple devices to other smart devices.
Out of those, they identified 17 different ways hackers could exploit the flaws to launch remote attacks on billions of devices with the wireless technology enabled.
Each attack required specific software fixes to protect devices from threats like remote control of devices, stolen data or malware spreading across networks.
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More worryingly, the 'AirBorne' flaws allow zero-click attacks, meaning hackers can harm devices without any input from the user.
According to Oglio Security, two flaws allowed attackers to weaponise iPhones by 'deploying malware that spreads to devices on any local network the infected device connects to.'
While the tech giant has rolled out updates like iOS 18.4, macOS Sequoia 15.4, and tvOS 18.4 on 31 March 31 to patch these problems, there are still millions of third-party devices that support AirPlay that haven’t been patched and may not be for a long time.
Smart speakers and CarPlay-enabled car infotainment systems all remain vulnerable to attacks.
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What can you do to protect your device?
To stay safe, turn off AirPlay receivers in your device settings if you’re not using them. And make sure to restrict AirPlay access to 'Current User.'
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Additionally, install trusted security software on your Apple devices to eliminate any suspicious threats or activity and always keep your device current with the latest software update.
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With more than 2.3 billion AirPlay-enabled devices floating around, the risk isn’t small - and because AirPlay is always running in the background, that risk is constantly lurking.
These attacks behave like a network worm, able to jump from one device to another over shared networks like public Wi-Fi, increasing its risk to more systems.
"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," Oligo CTO Gal Elbaz told Wired. "And it's all because of vulnerabilities in one piece of software that affects everything."