Exposing Millions of Apple Users’ ticket and other details! ( Part -1 )

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TL;DR: I discovered a critical security flaw in Apple’s service system. While submitting a service request via a QR code at the service center, I was able to exploit a privilege escalation vulnerability, leading to an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR). This allowed me to gain admin panel access and uncover multiple security risks, including:

Admin panel takeoverIDOR leading to massive data exposureAccess to other users’ data, including Mac serial numbers, IMEI, Service ticket details and so on.

Introduction
What if I told you that a simple Apple service ticket could have exposed the personal details of millions of users? I recently stumbled upon a significant security flaw in Apple’s service system, one that could have led to massive breaches of customer data. While trying to get my own MacBook repaired, I uncovered a vulnerability in Apple’s service platform that allowed me to access not only my own ticket details but also sensitive information about countless other Apple users.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through how I discovered the flaw, what I was able to access, and why this is a serious issue for Apple and its customers.

The Setup: A Simple Service Request

I needed to get my MacBook repaired, so I went to an Apple service center and used the QR code at the desk to raise a service ticket. This seemed like a normal, everyday process — nothing out of the ordinary.

I got a confirmation email with a ticket number and carried on with my day. But little did I know, that email was just the beginning of a journey into Apple’s vulnerable service portal.

How I Uncovered the Flaw

While the process seemed routine, I couldn’t help but wonder how secure Apple’s system really was. Being a curious individual (and, let’s be honest, a bit of a tech enthusiast), I decided to take a deeper look at the service portal. As I explored further, I quickly discovered something troubling.

The Apple service portal had a severe information disclosure vulnerability. With a few tweaks to the system, I was able to gain unauthorized access to ticket details, warranty information, and even modify service appointments. What’s more, this flaw wasn’t limited to just my own ticket — it applied to other users’ data as well.

How I Uncovered the Flaw

What I Was Able to Access

Once I found the vulnerability, I realized how serious the consequences could have been if this had been exploited maliciously. Here’s what I was able to uncover:

Ticket Details — I could access the repair tickets of other users, including sensitive data such as serial numbers of their MacBooks, personal information, and service statuses.Appointment Details — I was able to view and modify appointments, potentially canceling or rescheduling repairs for other customers without their consent.Sensitive Customer Data — The platform didn’t properly protect data like contact numbers, addresses, and repair histories, all of which were available to me with a few simple modifications in the request.

How the Flaw Worked: A Simple Change in the URL ( Sample-1)

The flaw I uncovered stemmed from an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability. Essentially, the service portal failed to properly validate user requests. Here’s how it worked:

Step 1: I created an account on the service portal and raised my service ticket as usual.Step 2: I accessed the request made to view my ticket and noticed that the URL contained an easily modifiable parameter — my mobile number.Step 3: By changing the mobile number in the request, I was able to access another user’s ticket, bypassing any authentication measures.

Note: There is no rate limit in place, so we can use an intruder attack to fetch every customer’s data — not just by mobile number, but also by user ID, email, and a few other parameters.

It was that simple.

The Potential Impact

The potential impact of this vulnerability is huge. Had this flaw been discovered by malicious actors, Apple customers’ personal information would have been exposed on a massive scale. Here are a few potential scenarios:

Privacy Violations: Personal details, repair histories, and MacBook serial numbers would be publicly available, leaving customers vulnerable to identity theft or fraud.Unauthorized Access: Hackers could have used this flaw to gain access to other users’ accounts, change repair appointments, and potentially disrupt service processes.

Conclusion

In the end, what began as a simple service request turned into a wake-up call about the importance of data security. Thankfully, the vulnerability has now been fixed, and I’m happy to have contributed to securing Apple’s service platform. However, this is just one piece of the puzzle. In an upcoming blog, I’ll dive deeper into other critical vulnerabilities I uncovered, including how I was able to take over the admin panel and the broader issues I found within Apple’s system.

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