8legs: University of birmingham

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Expert exposes tap-to-pay flaw that can steal thousands from a locked iPhone in concerning footage

Security researchers demonstrated a flaw in Apple’s tap-to-pay system that can affect a locked iPhone when near a transit card reader.
The attack uses a man-in-the-middle setup near transit terminals to trick the iPhone into authorizing a payment.
Researchers showed in a test that payments of large values could be registered as very small amounts, enabling loss of funds.
The exploit requires proximity, specific hardware, and a linked Visa transit card to work.
Veritasium featured the flaw in a video, underscoring the real-world risk of this long-known vulnerability.
Apple has been approached for comment as experts warn about the potential for mass transit payments to be compromised.
The research team noted that only iPhone users with a Visa transit card are affected.
The article emphasizes the complexity of the setup, suggesting it would still require skilled criminals to execute.
Transit authorities and everyday users could be at risk if attackers combine hardware and proximity-based tactics.
The piece points to a broader concern about how contactless payments interact with security layers between devices and banks.

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