$28k Apple Bug Bounty: Breaking Shortcuts with IDOR

$28k Apple Bug Bounty: Breaking Shortcuts with IDOR

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Bug Bounty Reports Explained
3. Frans Rosén and Apple Shortcuts
4. Detectify: Asset Discovery and Vulnerability Scanning
5. Apple Shortcuts: An Overview
6. Apple's CloudKit and Shortcut Databases
7. Sharing and Storing Shortcuts
8. The Vulnerability Found by Frans Rosén
9. Working with CloudKit and Access Control
10. Testing and Deleting Shortcut Zones
11. The Impact of the Deletion
12. Contacting Apple and Receiving the Bounty
13. Conclusion

Introduction Bug Bounty Reports Explained is a series that delves into real-life examples of bugs discovered by ethical hackers and how they were exploited. In this episode, we explore how Frans Rosén uncovered a bug in shared Apple Shortcuts that allowed unauthorized access and manipulation.

Bug Bounty Reports Explained Bug bounty programs provide incentives for individuals to find and report vulnerabilities in software. This section discusses the concept of bug bounties and the importance of ethical hacking in securing digital systems.

Frans Rosén and Apple Shortcuts Frans Rosén is a renowned ethical hacker who specializes in uncovering vulnerabilities in various platforms. In this section, we delve into Frans Rosén's background and his discovery of a bug in Apple Shortcuts.

Detectify: Asset Discovery and Vulnerability Scanning Detectify is a comprehensive security tool that combines asset discovery and vulnerability scanning. This section explores how Detectify works and how it collaborates with ethical hackers to identify and address web vulnerabilities.

Apple Shortcuts: An Overview Apple Shortcuts is a platform that allows users to automate tasks on their iPhones. This section provides an introduction to Apple Shortcuts, its functionalities, and its integration with Apple's CloudKit.

Apple's CloudKit and Shortcut Databases Apple's CloudKit is a cloud-based database storage solution that enables app developers to store and authenticate user data. This section explains how Apple's CloudKit works and how shortcut databases are organized within it.

Sharing and Storing Shortcuts Shortcuts created on Apple devices can be shared with other users. This section explores the process of sharing shortcuts and the different types of databases used to store shared shortcuts.

The Vulnerability Found by Frans Rosén Frans Rosén discovered a vulnerability in shared Apple Shortcuts that allowed him to exploit improper access controls. This section provides a detailed explanation of the vulnerability and how it was exploited.

Working with CloudKit and Access Control Access control is crucial in ensuring the security of data stored in Apple's CloudKit. This section discusses how access control is enforced in CloudKit and the challenges Frans Rosén faced in testing the system.

Testing and Deleting Shortcut Zones Shortcut zones are used to group related objects together in CloudKit. This section explores Frans Rosén's attempt to test the system by deleting shortcut zones and the impact it had on the shortcuts.

The Impact of the Deletion Deleting shortcut zones had unintended consequences, resulting in the deletion of shared shortcuts and the disruption of services. This section discusses the impact of the deletion and the challenges faced by Apple in resolving the issue.

Contacting Apple and Receiving the Bounty Frans Rosén promptly reported the vulnerability to Apple and received a bounty of $28,000 for his discovery. This section highlights the communication between Frans Rosén and Apple and the resolution of the bug.

Conclusion Bug bounty programs not only incentivize ethical hacking but also contribute to the overall security of digital systems. This section concludes the article by emphasizing the importance of bug bounty programs and responsible disclosure.

Highlights:

• Bug bounty programs incentivize ethical hacking and contribute to software security.
• Frans Rosén discovered a bug in shared Apple Shortcuts and received a bounty of $28,000.
• Detectify combines asset discovery and vulnerability scanning, collaborating with ethical hackers.
• Apple Shortcuts allows users to automate tasks on their iPhones using Apple's CloudKit.
• The vulnerability in Apple Shortcuts exploited improper access controls.
• Access control in CloudKit posed challenges for Frans Rosén during testing.
• Deleting shortcut zones had unintended consequences, causing the deletion of shared shortcuts.
• Frans Rosén reported the vulnerability to Apple and prevented further service disruptions.