Research Reveals How iPhone Push Notifications Leak User Data

Security researcher Tommy Mysk has demonstrated that iPhone push notifications are being used by popular apps to covertly send data about the user.

iPhone 12 Security Feature
In a new video outlining the practice, Mysk highlighted how certain iOS apps exploit a feature introduced in iOS 10 that is designed to allow apps to customize push notifications. This feature, initially intended to enable apps to enrich notifications with additional content or decrypt encrypted messages, has seemingly been repurposed by some developers for more secretive activities. According to Mysk's findings, various popular applications, including TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Bing, are using the short background execution time granted for notification customization to send analytics information.

This practice is particularly worrisome because it circumvents the typical restrictions imposed by iOS on background app activities. Apple has always maintained strict control over applications running in the background to protecting user privacy and ensure optimal device performance. However, the push notification feature appears to have unintentionally provided a backdoor for apps to conduct background data transmission.

The type of data being sent includes unique device signals that can be used for fingerprinting and tracking users across different apps. Fingerprinting is a method of collecting specific information about a device, such as its hardware and software configurations, to create a unique identifier for the user. This identifier can then be used to track the user's activities across different applications, which can then be used for various activities such as targeted advertising.

Apple does not permit fingerprinting and will soon require developers to explicitly state why their apps need access to APIs that are often used for fingerprinting. This move is in line with Apple's efforts to strengthen user privacy, such as the introduction of App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14.5, which requires apps to obtain user permission before tracking their activity across other companies' apps and websites.

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Top Rated Comments

idmean Avatar
14 months ago

TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Bing
Anyone who values their privacy shouldn't install any of these ever anyhow.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trainwrecka Avatar
14 months ago
Imagine if this was your job at these companies. Employee, I need you to figure out a way to do something the company and the user does not want.

Everyday... your goal is to deceive. Sad life.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Timo_Existencia Avatar
14 months ago
...but hey! Forcing Apple to open up to sideloading and 3rd Party App stores will have zero effect. Right?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
G5isAlive Avatar
14 months ago
It’s always a cat and mouse game with the same bad actors.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
14 months ago
Zuck would sell his own family if it meant getting a little more data.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wizard_of_Woz Avatar
14 months ago
One of the best decisions I've ever made was deleting the few (anti) social media accounts I had a few years ago. This article highlights reason 4,357,288 to leave social media. To each their own, but social media IMO is nothing but toxic, time wasting garbage. To be fair though, it wasn't as bad when it first started. If I want to see friends or family, I will either drive/fly to see them, they come to see me, or if they are low on funds I will fly them to see me. If I want to talk to someone, I call them. If someone prefers text messages over phone calls, I text them.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)