Albert

Albert is the iPhone activation server, which attests certificates for use in Apple Push Notification Service and other services.

MacOS Activation

Generate an 1024 bit RSA activation key. Send an HTTP POST to https://albert.apple.com/deviceservices/deviceActivation?device=MacOS with a URLEncoded form:

• activation-info: non-binary plist of Activation Request

Activation Request

• ActivationInfoComplete: (bool) true
• ActivationInfoXML: (data) non-binary plist of Activation Info
• FairPlayCertChain: (data) FairPlay certificate chain of signature
• FairPlaySignature: (data) FairPlay SHA1 RSA signature for ActivationInfoXML

Activation Info

• ActivationRandomness: Random UUID (uppercase)
• ActivationState: Unactivated
• BuildVersion: OS Build Number eg. 23D60
• DeviceCertRequest: (data) PEM encoded cert request
• DeviceClass: MacOS
• ProductType: SMBIOS Model eg. MacBookPro18,3
• ProductVersion: MacOS Version eg. 14.3.1
• SerialNumber: Device Serial
• UniqueDeviceID: Device UUID (uppercase)

Cert Request

X.509 Certificate Request, Signed with Activation Key

• Common Name: Client Push Certificate
• Version: 0
• Public Key: Activation Key

Activation Response

An XML document containing the <Protocol> element with a plist:

<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>device-activation</key>
    <dict>
      <key>ack-received</key>
      <true/>
      <key>activation-record</key>
      <dict>
        <key>DeviceCertificate</key>
        <data>(PEM-encoded cert chain)</data>
      </dict>
      <key>show-settings</key>
      <true/>
    </dict>
  </dict>
</plist>