OpenHaystack is a new open-source tool that will let anybody make their own Bluettoth tracking tag to use with the Find My Network so they can track its location.The whole system is developed by security researchers at the Secure Mobile Networking Lab.
OpenHaystack works via a custom Mac app that can be used to track the location of custom tags that you create. As of right now, the tool has direct support to make a tracking tag using the BBC micro:bit mini computer, though other Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device support could be added by other developers in the future. Once registered on Apple’s Find My network, the OpenHaystack app will be able to report the tag’s location just like Apple’s Find My app works for iPhones and other Apple devices.
Though there aren’t any serious security implications for the Find My network itself, there is an important disclaimer on the project:
OpenHaystack is experimental software. The code is untested and incomplete. For example, OpenHaystack tags using our firmware broadcast a fixed public key and, therefore, are trackable by other devices in proximity (this might change in a future release). OpenHaystack is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.
OpenHaystack is the new open-source tool that lets you create DIY AirTags on Apple’s Find My network
