Researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk have identified a serious privacy vulnerability in Apple's Safari browser that could enable tracking of iPhone users within the European Union. Their investigation uncovered flaws in how Apple implemented a new URI scheme aimed at facilitating app downloads in compliance with the EU Digital Market Act.

In response to EU regulations, Apple introduced a new URI scheme in iOS 17.4, allowing users to download third-party marketplace apps directly from developer websites. This scheme, labeled marketplace-kit://, is activated through a user-initiated HTML button, which Apple claimed would bolster security during app installation.

Despite these precautions, the researchers found that the security measures are inadequate. The implementation permits any website to invoke the URI scheme, which opens the door to potential malicious tracking. Each activation transmits a unique client identifier (client_id) to the marketplace servers. While designed to remain consistent for a specific device, Apple’s implementation inadvertently enables this ID to serve as a persistent tracking token across different websites.

Key security issues identified include:

• Cross-site tracking: Safari does not authenticate or verify the origin of websites invoking the marketplace-kit URI, allowing the same client_id to be shared across multiple sites. This flaw can enable third-party sites to track user activity across the web.
• Token validation weaknesses: The process responsible for handling installation requests, marketplacekit, does not properly validate JWT tokens passed during installation. This oversight leaves room for injection attacks and other security breaches targeting both the process and the servers.
• Missing certificate pinning: Without certificate pinning, data exchanged between marketplacekit and servers can be intercepted or manipulated, further compromising user privacy.

Tests conducted by the researchers involved deploying scripts across three different websites, demonstrating that the same client_id was transmitted to the marketplace server from each site. These experiments used Safari on iOS 17.4.1 in private browsing mode, indicating that even secure browsing sessions are vulnerable.

This discovery raises concerns about Apple's approach to app sideloading and user privacy safeguards. The reliance on simple user actions—like pressing a button—without additional origin verification is a significant security gap.

For privacy-conscious users in the EU, the researchers recommend switching to browsers like Brave, which actively block this type of cross-site tracking. Developers and platform engineers should prioritize validating JWT tokens rigorously and strengthening communication security to mitigate such vulnerabilities. Users are advised to be cautious when installing apps from alternative sources, given the potential privacy risks exposed by this flaw.

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