Apple Geolocation API Exposes Wi-Fi Access Points Worldwide

Apple’s Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) can be used to map and track Wi-Fi access points (APs) around the globe. But in a presentation at Black Hat 2024, University of Maryland researcher Erik Rye will demonstrate how he mapped hundreds of millions of APs in a matter of days, without even needing an Apple device or any kind of permissions along the way.

As Rye explains, “You might not own a single Apple device but, nonetheless, your Wi-Fi access point will still end up in this system, just due to the fact that people that own Apple devices walk by your house, deliver your packages, or live next to you.”