Student Allegedly Hacks Apple Passbook for Free Flights

Anthony Hariton, a computer science student at the University of Crete, said that he has found a simple hack for Apple Passbook which will allow him to get free first class tickets for a flight anywhere you choose. He plans to present his findings at next month's Hack in the Box Security Conference (HITBSecConf) 2014 in Amsterdam. His presentation, entitled "Exploiting Passbook to Fly for Free," will theoretically tell users how to generate fake boarding passes using only a computer and an iPhone.

“A computer and a smartphone is all that’s required for a method that puts to the test both physical and digital security,” Hariton writes in his Hack in the Box presentation abstract. “We will be using tools available to everyone to forge passes and look into methods of getting in the Security Restricted Area and even more importantly into the flight we desire.”

Hariton also claims that the process is so simple, that even an everyday user can do it. But he also said that one would require a good poker face and nerves of steel along with the software hack. Until the presentation is done, it will be difficult to say if the hack really works. If it does work, those who are caught would most likely be arrested and charged with fraud and theft.

According to the vague details he provided, there is an issue with how the validity of the boarding passes is checked as the scanners didn’t have direct access to the airliner database. The only problem would arise if the hacker tries to board a plane that has been fully booked.

The fake boarding passes were created using a simple technique that used CSS and JavaScript within a web browser. Beyond the fake boarding pass, the security researcher said that those looking for free travel will be required to utilise a few social engineering skills as well and should have a good poker face.

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