iPhone users working from home are warned about a potential privacy risk associated with iPhone Mirroring. This feature, designed for wirelessly projecting iPhone content onto a Mac, could inadvertently expose sensitive app data to employers.
iPhone Mirroring, available with macOS 15 Sequoia, iOS 18, and Apple Silicon devices, allows a connected iPhone to display content, run apps, and receive notifications on a Mac. Security researchers at Sevco Security discovered a flaw that allows employers using a work-issued Mac to access a list of personal apps installed on an employee’s iPhone through a simple terminal command.
This exposed list could include apps related to:
- Dating (revealing sexual orientation or location-based preferences)
- Health (unintentionally disclosing medical conditions)
- VPN usage (potentially raising concerns in internet-restricted regions)
- Other sensitive applications users might prefer to keep private
This unintentional data leak could have personal and professional ramifications, impacting privacy and potentially creating legal issues depending on the app usage and local regulations. In addition, for employers, unknowingly collecting such data could violate privacy laws and lead to lawsuits or regulatory action.
Recommendations:
- Employees should avoid using iPhone Mirroring on work computers until the security issue is resolved.
- Companies should:
- Warn employees about the risk and advise against using iPhone Mirroring at work.
- Contact any third-party vendors collecting software inventory on Macs to ensure employee privacy is protected.
iPhone Mirroring offers a convenient way to extend iPhone functionality onto a Mac. However, until the current privacy concerns are addressed, users, particularly those working remotely, should exercise caution when using this feature on work computers.