AirPod Security Questions

2 points by hNewsLover99 9 years ago | 1 comment

Some questions re: iPhone 7 AirPod's Bluetooth implementation:

1. Can anyone point to any specs or articles as to whether is vulnerable to eavesdropping? *

2. Can multiple AirPods interact with the same device simultaneously? (Useful if legitimately authorized for local chatting; scary if unauthorized/unknown.)

3. Is it possible that unauthorized AirPods be connected to an Apple device (either with or without access to that device, to press "Connect")? By, say, hacking the synch credentials that are store on icloud?

After an hour of Googling, searching Apple's site, and watching relevant keynote video yada-yada, I can't find any discussion of these topics.

Seems like journalists don't want to question Apple.

* See wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth#Security

"[Bluetooth] is susceptible to denial-of-service attacks, eavesdropping, man-in-the-middle attacks, message modification, and resource misappropriation. Users and organizations must evaluate their acceptable level of risk and incorporate security into the lifecycle of Bluetooth devices."

MBCook 9 years ago |

You're kidding right?

1. They're bluetooth. They're exactly as vulnerable as any other up-to-date bluetooth headphones. 2. You can probably pair multiple sets of AirPods but iOS will only let you use one audio output device at once. I don't believe you can use two pairs of bluetooth headphones at once so I don't see why you'd be able tow with AirPods. 3. If you hacked iCloud probably. But that requires hacking iCloud. If you do that you have better things to do than pair some headphones sneakily.

Dude, they're just bluetooth headphones with a little 'magic' to make them easier to pair. They're probably MORE secure than so many headphones that use a fixed pin of 0000. And the headphones can only ask to pair, they can't force a pair.