There’s a critical, actively exploited vulnerability in Apple’s iOS activation servers allowing unauthenticated XML payload injection:
https://cyberpress.org/apple-ios-activation-vulnerability/
This flaw targets the core activation process, bypassing normal security checks. Despite the severity, it’s barely discussed in public security channels.
Why is this not being addressed or publicly acknowledged? Apple developers and security researchers should urgently review and audit activation flows—this is a direct attack vector on device trust integrity.
Any insights or official response appreciated.
General
RSS for tagPrioritize user privacy and data security in your app. Discuss best practices for data handling, user consent, and security measures to protect user information.
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Recently, we received an user enquiry regarding the inability to perform bookings for the app.
After investigation, we found that the issue appears to be caused by the failure of the Apple DeviceCheck service.
Based on our checks, approximately 0.01% of requests fail each day (e.g., on 26 June: 6 failures out of 44,544 requests) when using Apple DeviceCheck.
Could you please assist in raising the following enquiries with Apple Support?
What is the typical failure rate of Apple DeviceCheck? Are there any reliability metrics or benchmarks for its performance?
How can the failures be prevented, or is there a recommended retry mechanism to handle such failures?
Does the iOS version affect the performance or reliability of Apple DeviceCheck? Are there known issues or limitations with specific iOS versions?
How long does the token remain valid, and when should a new one be retrieved?
Does using a jailbroken device affect the functionality of Apple DeviceCheck?
Hey everyone, I'm hitting a really frustrating issue with App Attest. My app was working perfectly with DCAppAttestService on October 12th, but starting October 13th it started failing with DCError Code 2 "Failed to fetch App UUID" at DCAppAttestController.m:153. The weird part is I didn't change any code - same implementation, same device, same everything.
I've tried switching between development and production entitlement modes, re-registered my device in the Developer Portal, created fresh provisioning profiles with App Attest capability, and verified that my App ID has App Attest enabled. DCAppAttestService.isSupported returns true, so the device supports it. Has anyone else run into this? This is blocking my production launch and I'm not sure if it's something on my end or an Apple infrastructure issue.
Seeing the following error when attempting automatic passkey upgrade - [Warning] NotAllowedError: The request is not allowed by the user agent or the platform in the current context, possibly because the user denied permission.
We're trying to enable Automatic passkey upgrade (https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2024/10125/?time=38) for our website but it's not working from our testing on iOS 18.2 and 18.3 Beta Safari.
The flow on our website looks like:
the customers use autofill to fill out email and password on the sign-in page (abc.com/signin)
PublicKeyCredential.getClientCapabilities is called to check if conditionalCreate supported.
land on another page of our website (abc.com/pageX), which calls navigator.credentials.create with mediation conditional (Right after sign-in).
We checked that we followed the steps in above video: Allow automatic passkey upgrades is enabled, mediation is set to conditional and password autofill is used to signed in. However, Safari threw an error [Warning] NotAllowedError: The request is not allowed by the user agent or the platform in the current context, possibly because the user denied permission.
Can Apple help guide us if anything is missed here?
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Tags:
Passkeys in iCloud Keychain
Authentication Services
On iOS 26, QuickLookAR (ARQuickLookPreviewItem) shares the actual .usdz file via the system Share Sheet instead of the original website URL.
This is a regression from iOS 17–18, where sharing correctly preserved and sent only the source URL.
Repro steps:
1. Open a web-hosted USDZ model in QuickLookAR (Safari).
2. Tap Share.
3. Share via any messenger.
4. The full .usdz file is sent.
Expected:
Share Sheet sends only the original URL.
Actual:
Share Sheet sends the USDZ file.
Impact:
Uncontrolled distribution of proprietary 3D assets.
Critical IP / data leak.
Blocks production AR deployments relying on QuickLook.
Environment:
iOS 26.0–26.1, iPhone 14 / 15.
Works as expected on iOS 17–18.
Test case:
https://admixreality.com/ios26/
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Hi,
We are using the MSAL library to authenticate users, with SSO authentication implemented through the Microsoft Authenticator app.
The problem is that once or twice a day, a prompt for forced authentication appears, indicating that silent token acquisition is failing and resulting in a requirement for forced authentication. Below are some of the logs:
=================================================
2025-08-28 11:00:05.034 [Info] [AppDelegate.swift:121] application(:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:) > MSAL message: TID=751353 MSAL 1.8.1 iOS 18.5 [2025-08-28 10:00:05 - EC9D1457-2D70-4878-926F-553391EBC9D3] [MSAL] Silent flow finished. Result (null), error: -51115 error domain: MSIDErrorDomain
2025-08-28 11:00:05.034 [Info] [AppDelegate.swift:121] application(:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:) > MSAL message: TID=751353 MSAL 1.8.1 iOS 18.5 [2025-08-28 10:00:05 - EC9D1457-2D70-4878-926F-553391EBC9D3] [MSAL] acquireTokenSilent returning with error: (MSALErrorDomain, -50002) Masked(not-null)
====================================================
We initially raised this issue with Microsoft, but according to them:
In the app's logs, the single one failure it contains, was when the SSO extension returned the error com.apple.AuthenticationServices.AuthorizationError, -6000 during a silent call. This error code is generated by the system framework (Apple), not by our code. It indicates that the framework encountered an unexpected internal issue before or after calling the SSO extension.
MSAL returning interaction_required to the client app is the most effective way to recover from this error (as you mention, after the user selects the account the app continues working as expected).
Additionally, as you also mention, the interactive call is made by switching to Authenticator (not displaying a "window" without leaving Eva Lite app), which means MSAL is not able to use the SSO extension and is using the fallback to legacy authentication.
The recommended next step is for the customer to request support directly from Apple as this is an issue on their side. Additionally, the customer can also try to update to the latest iOS, in case Apple has already fixed this issue.
=============================================
STEPS TO REPRODUCE
There is no such steps its just that this is an enterprise application which is getting used on managed devices[iPhone 14]. The device are managed using some intune policy.
Platform and Version:
iOS
Development Environment: Xcode 15, macOS 13.6.1
Run-time Configuration: iOS 18
Please let me know if there are any solutions to resolve this problem. Thank you.
We are currently trying to fix a bug when using SignIn with Apple. It appears that on some occasions we are not receiving a user's profile info (name, email) when a new account is created.
After doing some investigation we believe this bug is due to the same Apple login being used as an already deleted account. ASF only appears to send profile info the very first time an Apple login is used. If that account is deleted and another is created with the same apple login we won't receive the profile info.
As a result we are not in compliance with Apple's guidelines requiring that we use the provided profile info with Apple SigIn, and need to prompt users to enter it again.
Is there a process in place to properly "clear" a user after their account is deleted in our system, so that the next time a user creates an account with the same Apple login, we receive their profile info again?
I'm a bit confused about if using App Attest is possible in enterprise builds. It shows up under identifiers in the apple dev portal and I can add it to my provisioning file and entitlements file. But if I go to keys I cannot create a key for it.
This page implies it can be used for enterprise builds:
After distributing your app through TestFlight, the App Store, or the Apple Developer Enterprise Program, your app ignores the entitlement you set and uses the production environment.
Our background monitoring application uses a Unix executable that requests Screen Recording permission via CGRequestScreenCaptureAccess(). This worked correctly in macOS Tahoe 26.0.1, but broke in 26.1.
Issue:
After calling CGRequestScreenCaptureAccess() in macOS Tahoe 26.1:
System dialog appears and opens System Settings
Our executable does NOT appear in the Screen Recording list
Manually adding via "+" button grants permission internally, but the executable still doesn't show in the UI
Users cannot verify or revoke permissions
Background:
Unix executable runs as a background process (not from Terminal)
Uses Accessibility APIs to retrieve window titles
Same issue occurs with Full Disk Access permissions
Environment:
macOS Tahoe 26.1 (worked in 26.0.1)
Background process (not launched from Terminal)
Questions:
Is this a bug or intentional design change in 26.1?
What's the recommended approach for background executables to properly register with TCC?
Are there specific requirements (Info.plist, etc.) needed?
This significantly impacts user experience as they cannot manage permissions through the UI.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Hello,
I am using the prf extension for passkeys that is available since ios 18 and macos15.
I am using a fixed, hardcoded prf input when creating or geting the credentials.
After creating a passkey, i try to get the credentials and retrieve the prf output, which works great, but i am getting different prf outputs for the same credential and same prf input used in the following scenarios:
Logging in directly (platform authenticator) on my macbook/iphone/ipad i get "prf output X" consistently for the 3 devices
When i use my iphone/ipad to scan the qr code on my macbook (cross-platform authenticator) i get "prf output Y" consistently with both my ipad and iphone.
Is this intended? Is there a way to get deterministic prf output for both platform and cross-platform auth attachements while using the same credential and prf input?
Hi. I enter a password using the security command at the command line. It appears in the keychain access app, but not in the passwords app. I don't understand why.
rickhedin@Ricks-MacBook-Pro zalando % security add-generic-password -U -s "birds" -a "cats" -w "dogs"
rickhedin@Ricks-MacBook-Pro zalando %
rickhedin@Ricks-MacBook-Pro zalando % security find-generic-password -s "birds" -wa "cats"
dogs
rickhedin@Ricks-MacBook-Pro zalando %
I'm told the two apps are two views of the same data, so I guess some filter must be being applied?
Topic:
Privacy & Security
SubTopic:
General
Hi Apple Developer Support,
I’m building a macOS app that acts as a default browser. I can confirm that I can set it correctly through System Settings → Default Web Browser.
The app implements ASWebAuthenticationSessionWebBrowserSessionHandling to intercept Single Sign-On (SSO) flows. To handle requests, it presents SSO pages in a WKWebView embedded in a window that this app creates and owns - this works perfectly for the initial login flow.
However, after I close my WebView window and then launch Safari or Chrome, any subsequent SSO requests open in the newly-launched browser instead of my custom browser, even though it remains selected as the default in System Settings.
I’d appreciate any insight on why the system “hands off” to Safari/Chrome in this scenario, and how I can keep my app consistently intercepting all ASWebAuthenticationSession requests.
Here are the steps that break down the issue:
Launch & confirm that the custom default browser app is the default browser in System Settings → Default Web Browser.
Trigger SSO (e.g., try to log in to Slack).
App’s WKWebView appears, and the SSO UI works end-to-end.
Close the WebView window (I have windowShouldClose callback where I cancel the pending session).
Manually launch Safari or Chrome.
Trigger SSO again. Observed behaviour: the login URL opens in Safari/Chrome.
I am using macOS 15.3.2
Title: Sporadical - Permissions Not Cleared After App Uninstallation on iOS18
I install and launch my private MAUI App
I ask for example Bluetooth permissions (can be any other permission)
I tap Allow button on native settings (or Don't Allow)
I unistall app from real phone (we can wait for a while)
I install and launch My Private MAUI App
I ask for example Bluetooth permissions <- here is an issue. Bluetooth is already granted, so I cannot ask for it again.
Occurrence:
This issue occurs inconsistently:
On iOS 18.5: approximately 5 out of 10 times
On iOS 17: approximately 1 out of 50 times
Tested using my automated system using Appium latest. After each scenario I unistall app using: "mobile: removeApp" with bundleId
Hi,
is it somehow possible to access a key that was generated by the DCAppAttestService generateKey() function?
I need to be 100% sure that no actor from within or outside of my app can access the generated key with the DeviceCheck Framework. It would also be helpful to get some official resources to the topic.
Thank you in advance,
Mike
I noticed, that even though my AutoFill Credential Provider Extension works with Safari for both Passwords and Passkeys, it doesn't work in context menus inside arbitrary textfields, meanwhile the same is true for the Apple Passwords app. This is a great hit to AutoFill productivity, as my extension is unable to fill textfields by just going to the context menu and clicking AutoFill > Passwords..
Is this a feature only available to Apple via private APIs, or is this something I can interface with?
I checked and the Passwords app does use some undocumented but non-private entitlements:
[Key] com.apple.authentication-services.access-credential-identities
[Value]
[Bool] true
I also checked the responsible executable for some hints (AutoFillPanelService) however found nothing that would lead me to believe this is a public extension point.
Another idea I had was trying to use a macOS Service for this, however Services in the "General" category won't show up in any context menu, only in the Application's Main Menu.
I'm looking to implement USB monitoring for FIDO2 authentication through a custom Authorization Plugin, specifically for the below ones.
This plugin applies to the following macOS authorization mechanisms:
system.login.console — login window authentication
system.login.screensaver — screensaver unlock authentication
The goal is to build a GUI AuthPlugin, an authorization plugin that presents a custom window prompting the user to "Insert your FIDO key”. Additionally, the plugin should detect when the FIDO2 device is removed and respond accordingly.
Additional Info:
We have already developed a custom authorization plugin which is a primary authentication using OTP at login and Lock Screen. We are now extending to include FIDO2 support as a primary.
Our custom authorization plugin is designed to replace the default loginwindow:login mechanism with a custom implementation.
Question: Is there a reliable approach to achieve the USB monitoring functionality through a custom authorization plugin? Any guidance or pointers on this would be greatly appreciated.
Hello,
I’m planning to develop a custom referral-based attribution system for my app. The goal is to log the number of installs that come from unique referral links and then track subsequent in‑app analytics (for example, when a user reaches level 5 in a game). I’d also like to capture the user’s country to further segment these analytics.
I want to build this system myself—without relying on third‑party services (such as AppsFlyer or Branch) since I only need a few key data points and want to keep costs low. However, I’m aware of the privacy restrictions in iOS and want to ensure that my implementation complies with Apple’s guidelines.
Specifically, I would appreciate guidance on the following:
Permissible Signals:
Is it acceptable to log signals like IP address (or a suitably anonymized version), device model, and timestamp to help correlate the referral click to a successful install and subsequent in‑app events?
Are there any other recommended non‑PII signals that can be used to confirm a referral install without risking rejection during App Review?
Best Practices:
What are the best practices for handling and transmitting these signals (e.g., should IP addresses be truncated or hashed)?
How can I ensure that my system remains compliant with Apple’s App Tracking Transparency and other privacy guidelines?
I’d appreciate any insights or references to relevant documentation that might help me build this system without getting rejected by Apple.
Thank you in advance for your assistance!
Since Sun 15th Jun 04:30 (UTC+7) we received lots of following error that causes our device test failure. Could Apple please investigate further?
#############################
Operations could not be completed. (com.apple.devicecheck.error error 4.) (serverUnavailable)
Hello,
Thanks for the new video on Memory Integrity Enforcement!
Is the presented app's sample code available (so that we can play with it and find & fix the bug on our own, using Soft Mode)?
Thanks in advance!
The Passwords App is accessing websites found in the ASCredentialIdentityStore associated with a 3rd Party password management app (SamuraiSafe). This behaviour appears to be associated with looking up website favicons in order to display in Passwords. However the websites contacted are not stored in the Passwords App/iCloud KeyChain - only the 3rd Party password management app (SamuraiSafe). This is effectively leaking website information stored in the 3rd Party password management app.
I first noticed this behaviour on macOS, and it appears to happen every 8 days. Today it was seen on iOS.
The behaviour is revealed through the App Privacy Report on iOS (and LittleSnitch on macOS).
I would not be surprised to see the Passwords App do this for websites saved in the Passwords App/iCloud KeyChain, however I believe it should not be arbitrarily testing every website found in the ASCredentialIdentityStore as reference to that website url should be entirely under the control of the end user.
See attached screenshots from App Privacy Report.
Filed bug with Apple: FB16682423