Researchers in the UK have demonstrated how hackers could steal money from your Visa card using Apple Pay Express Transit mode. This mode allows your card to be accessed without having to use Face ID or your passcode and is designed to allow users to effortlessly pass through transit gates, such as those on the London Underground and the New York City subway, which allow contactless pay via a credit card.
Apple Pay has been considered to be resilient to hackers, as it uses a token account number for purchases rather than your actual credit card number and requires your Face ID on an iPhone to pay, or a double tap on an Apple Watch. The Express Transit mode allows the iPhone to bypass this second phase of security by broadcasting a signal to the iPhone.
By replicating that signal, the researchers were able to obtain the card data to make payments on regular contactless card machines. They were also able to bypass the low payment limit set for contactless payment. However, this was only possible when a Visa card was tied to the Express Transit account – when a Mastercard was used, it didn’t work. It also didn't work when using a Visa card on a Samsung phone.
- Best cheap Apple TV sales, deals and prices for September 2021
- iPhone 13 review: a phone for everyone
- iPhone 13 Pro Max review: the ultimate iPhone
The research is summarized on a new website, which explains the findings of the test. It advises iPhone users to 'not use Visa as a transport card in Apple Pay.' It also states that 'if your iPhone is lost or stolen, activate the Lost Mode on your iPhone, and call your bank to block your card.'
There is good news though. Firstly, even if you have a Visa card on your Apple Pay, you need to manually activate the Express Transit mode for this to be possible – it’s turned off by default. The second is that this danger is theoretical and hasn’t been happening in the real world (as far as we know).
Also, now that this information is widely known, we can expect a solution to stop this happening – either from Visa or from Apple. And in the meantime, Visa offers zero-liability protection for any unauthorized payments.
How to turn off Express Transit mode
If you want to make sure your card can’t be accessed, on your iPhone, go to Settings>Wallet & Apple Pay and click on your Visa card. In the card information you will see an option for Express Transit. Click this and select None.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.
-
I'll be watching this huge Western series after monumental new trailer
1923 looks bigger and better this time around
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Revolutionary Hypershell exoskeleton gives hikers a 40% strength boost and up to 12.4 miles of speed assistance
Hypershell’s AI-powered outdoor exoskeleton also reduces fatigue by 30% and costs a fraction of Arc’tery’s Mo/Go Pants
By Matt Kollat Published
-
Apple Intelligence news notification summaries have been suspended
Here's why, as well as how to turn the feature off yourself
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Say goodbye to the Dynamic Island, iPhones could have Face ID set into the display in future
It might not be this year though, so don't get too excited
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
A new Apple TV 4K box is reportedly coming, it's just a matter of when
What will it offer though and will it change design?
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple's affordable iPad set for major speed boost and Apple Intelligence
It's exciting times ahead for the entry-level tablet
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple already sells a device thinner than the rumoured iPhone 17 Air
The slimming world of Apple
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple MacBook Pro set for its biggest upgrade in many years
It's great news for Apple fans
By Sam Cross Published
-
Apple iPhone could get a major camera boost... thanks to Samsung
You’ll just have to wait a while for it to arrive
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
If the iPhone 17 Pro looks like this, I'll eat my hat!
Surely this is highly unlikely?
By Britta O'Boyle Published