Critical vulnerability revealed in Apple activation process

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Uber Geek
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#322610 4-Sep-2025 14:00

Here's one for ya. Operation Humbug reveals a critical vulnerability in Apple's activation process. This is about as horrific as it gets - Apple's activation server does not require authentication. Any old xml data sent is accepted. Apple haven't responded to the disclosure which already has a published Proof of Concept.

Operation Humbug full diclosure here.

Proof Of Concept here.

NB: This is not a crafted attack, Humbug is the discovery of an incredibly insecure method of making a vital transaction.

*Edit - correct my links.

Megabyte - so geek it megahertz

matthew234

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#3411518 5-Sep-2025 11:45

I would take it with a grain of salt - Reddit discussions suspect the vulnerability is an AI hallucination.

https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1l1wzna/unpatched_ios_activation_vulnerability_allows/

https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1l1wx97/comment/mvraxcf/

Behodar

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#3411519 5-Sep-2025 11:47

Reddit: There's not actually anything here. You've noted that a HTTP endpoint always responds with a 200 and then the rest is pure speculation. You haven't even attempted to show that any of this speculation might be valid.

If there is a vulnerability here then it's not demonstrated by anything that you've written.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I was first reading the thing. "We found an HTTP endpoint" is not (necessarily) a vulnerability, and there were no further details.