Apple Patches Critical AirPods Bluetooth Vulnerability (CVE-2024-27867)

In a recent cybersecurity development, Apple has released a crucial firmware update for its AirPods and select Beats products to address a significant Bluetooth vulnerability. If left unpatched, this security flaw could potentially allow malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to users’ headphones.

The Vulnerability Explained

The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-27867, affects a wide range of Apple’s wireless audio products, including:

• AirPods (2nd generation and later)
• AirPods Pro (all models)
• AirPods Max
• Powerbeats Pro
• Beats Fit Pro

Apple’s security advisory describes the issue: “When your headphones seek a connection request to one of your previously paired devices, an attacker in Bluetooth range might be able to spoof the intended source device and gain access to your headphones.”

This authentication flaw could allow an adversary within physical proximity to exploit the vulnerability and eavesdrop on private conversations, raising serious privacy concerns for users.

The Fix: Improved State Management

To address this security risk, Apple has implemented improved state management in the latest firmware updates. Users are strongly encouraged to update their devices to the following versions:

• AirPods Firmware Update 6A326
• AirPods Firmware Update 6F8
• Beats Firmware Update 6F8

The vulnerability was discovered and reported by security researcher Jonas Dreßler, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in identifying and mitigating potential cybersecurity threats.

Additional Apple Security Updates

This AirPods firmware update comes on the heels of other recent security patches from Apple. Two weeks prior, the company rolled out updates for visionOS (version 1.2), addressing 21 vulnerabilities, including seven flaws in the WebKit browser engine.

WebKit Vulnerability: The “World’s First Spatial Computing Hack”

One notable issue among these patches is CVE-2024-27812, a logic flaw in WebKit that could lead to a denial-of-service (DoS) condition when processing web content. This vulnerability was reported by security researcher Ryan Pickren, who described it as the “world’s first spatial computing hack.”
Pickren explained that the flaw could be exploited to “bypass all warnings and forcefully fill your room with an arbitrary number of animated 3D objects” without user interaction.

This vulnerability stems from Apple’s failure to apply the permissions model when using the ARKit Quick Look feature to spawn 3D objects in a user’s environment

The researcher further noted that these animated objects could persist even after exiting Safari, as they are handled by a separate application. More alarmingly, triggering this vulnerability doesn’t require user interaction, as it can be activated through programmatic JavaScript clicking.

The Importance of Timely Updates

These recent security updates from Apple underscore the critical importance of keeping devices and firmware up to date. As wireless and spatial computing technologies continue to evolve, so too do the potential vulnerabilities that malicious actors may attempt to exploit

Users of affected Apple devices are strongly advised to check for and install the latest firmware updates to protect themselves against these newly discovered security risks. By staying vigilant and maintaining up-to-date software, users can help safeguard their privacy and security in an increasingly connected world.