Find My Network Exploited to Send Messages

An exploit allows messages and extra data to be sent out across Apples Find My network, according to the findings of a security scientist.
Security scientist Fabian Bräunlein has found a way to take advantage of Apples Find My network to operate as a generic information transfer system, allowing non-internet-connected devices to publish arbitrary information by utilizing close-by Apple gadgets to publish the information for them.
The Find My network uses the entire base of active iOS gadgets to serve as nodes to transfer place data. Bräunlein explained in a comprehensive article that it is possible to imitate the method which an AirTag links to the Find My network and transmits its area. The AirTag sends its location via an encrypted broadcast, so when this information is changed with a message, it is hidden by the broadcasts file encryption.
Bräunleins useful presentation demonstrated how brief strings of text could be sent from a microcontroller running custom firmware over the Find My network. The text was gotten by means of a custom-made Mac app to decode and show the uploaded information.
If this Find My network exploit could be used maliciously or what beneficial functions it might serve, it is not right away clear. However, it appears that it could be challenging for Apple to prevent this unintended use due to the privacy-focused and end-to-end encrypted nature of the system.
For more information, see Bräunleins full post, which describes in detail the whole technical procedure behind passing arbitrary data through the Find My network.