May 10, 2021

A recent discovery by a German security expert showed that Apple’s AirTag can be hacked and its software modified. An investigation of the AirTag microcontroller allows revealing elements to be reprogrammed to alter the functionality of certain features.

A German security expert, identified simply as “Stack Smashing,” revealed on Twitter how the researcher found the issue. After exploring the device for a few hours, the researcher found that the microcontroller could be reprogrammed, proving that it is possible to change the microcontroller’s programming and how it works. While the research, which is at an early stage, shows that it takes a lot of know-how and effort to hack AirTag at all, there is a possibility that similar techniques of the researcher could be used for malicious purposes.

For more information, read the original story in Apple Insider.