Apple has deployed a system called Private Access Tokens that allows web servers to verify if a device is legitimate before granting access. This works by having the browser request a signed token from Apple proving the device is approved. While this currently has limited impact due to Safari’s market share, there are concerns that attestation systems restrict competition, user control, and innovation by only approving certain devices and software. Attestation could lead to approved providers tightening rules over time, blocking modified operating systems and browsers. While proponents argue for holdbacks to limit blocking, business pressures may make that infeasible and Google’s existing attestation does not do holdbacks. Fundamentally, attestation is seen as anti-competitive by potentially blocking competition between browsers and operating systems on the web.
Companies can already do that
Yeah, but so far you can just spoof your user agent. Not sure how easy cracking private access tokens will be. I assume they’ll be pretty proactive about keeping it locked down.
Just use a vm
That’s easily detectable. Try beating Google Safety Net that way.
Again, not an expert on Private Access Tokens, but I assumed the entire point is that it’s a proprietary black box piece of hardware that’s authenticating your device. If it’s just passing a token generated in software, it would be trivial to bypass even without a VM.
Could you explain to me better what the VM would accomplish in this situation?
…do you really think the devs of these systems don’t understand how to distinguish VMs from authentic devices in their device authenticating platform?
Google already does that with Android and SafetyNet
“Can” and “have a reason” are different things. With attestation they actually have a reason.