Starshields for iOS: Navigating the Security Cosmos in Satellite Communication
Jiska Classen
Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium 2025 · Day 1 · Wireless, Cellular & Satellite Security
As modern smartphones integrate advanced capabilities, Apple's introduction of satellite communication features in iOS devices marked a significant leap, promising connectivity in off-grid scenarios where traditional cellular and Wi-Fi networks are unavailable. This talk, presented by Alexander, delves into the intricate security architecture of Apple's **Starshields for iOS** system, offering a comprehensive analysis of how these features operate, the cryptographic mechanisms employed, and potential avenues for bypassing intended restrictions. The research, led by Jiska Classen and her colleague, provides an unprecedented look into a largely opaque system, shedding light on the robust security measures Apple has implemented to protect user data in highly resource-constrained environments.
AI review
Jiska Classen and collaborator do the hard thing: they crack open an opaque, hardware-rooted, baseband-adjacent proprietary system that nobody else has documented and come out with a credible cryptographic analysis, working bypasses, and a responsible disclosure loop that actually produced a server-side mitigation. This is exactly the kind of unglamorous, deep reverse-engineering work NDSS was built for.