> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://adjacent.media/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Passkeys' Hidden Vulnerability: The Attestation Problem
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/passkeys-hidden-vulnerability-the-attestation-problem/
- Published: 2026-10-16T16:16:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-16T16:16:20.000Z
- Description: Passkeys’ security model relies on device attestation to verify that a key genuinely lives on a secure enclave. But attestation creates a chokepoint: platform vendors (Apple, Google, Microsoft) decide which devices, manufacturers, and software stacks qualify as “trustworthy.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-connected, authentication, security infrastructure, passkeys

Source: [Michael Tsai](https://mjtsai.com/blog/2026/10/15/passkeys-attestation-trap/?ref=adjacent.media)

Passkeys' security model relies on device attestation to verify that a key genuinely lives on a secure enclave. But attestation creates a chokepoint: platform vendors (Apple, Google, Microsoft) decide which devices, manufacturers, and software stacks qualify as "trustworthy." They become gatekeepers of authentication infrastructure. The centralization mirrors earlier lock-in patterns in mobile ecosystems. A convenience-first authentication standard marketed as open ends up concentrating control over identity verification among a few corporations who can refuse attestation for competitive advantage or regulatory pressure.