China claims to track 'dangerous content' through Apple's AirDrop. Should users be worried?

File sharing and receiving through the AirDrop function can prove highly beneficial in certain situations. For instance, during larger gatherings, the 'receive from everyone' feature enables one to quickly receive information aimed at a broader group. This feature can be utilized in scenarios like parties or protests, where information must reach beyond the known contacts' circle.

Chinese authorities have proclaimed that they possess a tool that can de-anonymize the sender of so-called 'dangerous content' shared via the AirDrop function. Information about this was widely disseminated across the Beijing subway.

A phone that had received 'dangerous content' was scrutinized by experts from the Beijing Wangshendongjian Forensic Appraisal Institute. Following the investigation, these experts accessed the sender's email address and phone number.

This was facilitated by Apple phones storing logs associated with the AirDrop service. Details like the device name, phone number, and the associated email address are stored in an SHA-256 hash format. The team could generate all key-value pairs for user phone numbers and email addresses. The software they developed enables the sender's identification, thereby allowing the subsequent blocking of their email inbox and MSISDN.

As per Sekurak's revelations, there is currently no solution to counteract this issue. Consequently, users might have to consider disabling AirDrop to ensure complete security.