Update Technical Write Up.md

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Joseph Goydish II
2025-09-23 00:34:59 -04:00
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@@ -66,10 +66,102 @@ Key observations from the server response:
  - `CommCenter` modem/network configurations  
- Profiles/configs applied post-activation without user or MDM actions.
### Safe Triage Commands
```bash
# Search response captures for certificate blocks
grep -R "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----" /path/to/response_captures/
---
# Look for humbug headers in activation logs
grep -i "HUMBUG_XHEADER_STATUS" /var/log/mobileactivationd*
## Suspicious Domains from Modified Plist
Analysis of a tampered provisioning `.plist` file revealed spoofed domain entries under the `CriticalDomains` key:
- `cheeserolling.apple.com`  
- `woolyjumper.sd.apple.com`  
- `basejumper.apple.com`  
- `basejumper-vip.sd.apple.com`  
- `basejumper.sd.apple.com`  
- `locksmith.apple.com`  
- `gdmf-staging-int.apple.com`  
- `pallas-uat.rno.apple.com`  
- `pr2-pallas-staging-int-prz.apple.com`  
- `livability-api.swe.apple.com`  
- `wkms.sd.apple.com`  
- `wkms-uat.sd.apple.com`  
- `knox.sd.apple.com`  
---
## DNS / Resolution Context
During investigation, several of these domains were tested for resolution. Results indicate they are **non-functional or suspicious**:
- **`basejumper.apple.com`**  
  - No A/AAAA/CNAME records found (per Cloudflare DNS lookup).  
  - Only an SPF-related TXT record was returned, valid for 1 hour.  
  - ➝ Suggests a placeholder/non-routable domain, not an active Apple service.
- **`locksmith.apple.com`**  
  - Could not be resolved (`HTTP Connect` failure, no DNS resolution).  
  - ➝ Appears unused or intentionally absent from DNS.
- **`cheeserolling.apple.com`**  
  - Could not be resolved (`HTTP Connect` failure, no DNS resolution).  
  - ➝ Likely a fake or internal-only test entry, not routable externally.
Other entries (e.g., `pallas-uat`, `wkms`, `knox`) were not resolved during this check but follow similar suspicious naming conventions, hinting at either **staging/internal use only** or **fabricated values for tampered plist injection**.
---
## Contextual Interpretation
- These spoofed or non-resolving domains **should not normally appear** in device provisioning flows.  
- Their presence indicates the plist was **modified to insert unauthorized endpoints**, expanding the potential attack surface.  
- Even if non-routable externally, such injected domains could be abused in **enterprise or captive environments** where DNS is controlled.  
- This reinforces the risk: unauthenticated plist injection allows attackers to redefine “critical domains” in the activation workflow.  
---
## Conclusion
The vulnerability in Apples activation backend, coupled with evidence of tampered plist files containing suspicious/unresolvable domains, demonstrates the feasibility of **pre-activation trust boundary manipulation**. Attackers could exploit this weakness to silently alter provisioning logic, introduce rogue network policies, and undermine enterprise security controls before the device reaches the user