Apple has addressed a recently disclosed Bluetooth keyboard injection vulnerability through the release of Magic Keyboard Firmware Update 2.0.6. Tracked as CVE-2024-0230, the flaw is described as a session management issue that could be exploited by an attacker with physical access to the accessory. The attacker could extract the Bluetooth pairing key and monitor Bluetooth traffic, potentially leading to actions like injecting keystrokes, installing apps, executing commands, and more. Discovered by Marc Newlin of SkySafe, the vulnerability affects various Magic Keyboard models.
The Bluetooth vulnerability arises from a session management flaw, allowing an attacker in close proximity to a victim to exploit unauthenticated Bluetooth and inject keystrokes. This could lead to unauthorized actions on the vulnerable device. Apple’s firmware update aims to address this issue by implementing improved checks and preventing the extraction of Bluetooth pairing keys. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it could impact devices such as Android, Linux/BlueZ, and iOS/macOS when Bluetooth is enabled and Magic Keyboard is paired.
Marc Newlin highlighted that the vulnerabilities work by tricking the Bluetooth host state-machine into pairing with a fake keyboard without user confirmation. Unpatched devices are vulnerable under specific conditions, varying for Android, Linux/BlueZ, and iOS/macOS. The Magic Keyboard Firmware Update 2.0.6 is applicable to several Magic Keyboard models, including those with Touch ID. However, the researcher noted that Lockdown Mode does not prevent attacks from exploiting this flaw. It remains unclear whether the vulnerability has been exploited in real-world attacks.
