Apple’s newly discovered M1 security flaw is unfixable

Apple’s newly discovered M1 security flaw is unfixable

Web Desk
June 12, 2022

Apple’s newly discovered M1 security flaw is unfixable

MIT security experts have discovered a flaw in Apple’s M1 chip.
The weakness could theoretically allow hackers to access the kernel of the operating system.
Allowing them to hijack Mac computers.

Before I go any further, M1 security Mac users do not need to be concerned about their personal information being taken. While this is a serious vulnerability that must be addressed, it will only function if certain improbable circumstances are met. First and foremost, the system under attack must have a memory corruption problem. As a result, the experts believe there’s “no cause for immediate alarm.”

In a message to TechCrunch, Apple praised the researchers, but stressed that the “problem” did not represent an imminent threat to MacBook customers.

Apple said, “We want to thank the researchers for their collaboration as this proof of concept advances our understanding of these techniques.”

Added, “Based on our analysis as well as the details shared with us by the researchers, we have concluded this issue does not pose an immediate risk to our users and is insufficient to bypass operating system security protections on its own.”

This level of defence may be breached, as the researchers discovered. This is when the MIT PACMAN assault comes into play. It uses a hardware device to estimate the value of a PAC, therefore a software patch will not solve the application. There are many conceivable PAC values, but with a gadget that shows whether a guess is true or incorrect, you may try them all until you find the one that works. The ghosts prevail in this scenario.

All of Apple’s ARM-based processors, including the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max, employ pointer authentication. The recently unveiled M2 CPU, which will power the next MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13, hasn’t been tested, according to MIT. Qualcomm and Samsung have announced or are planning to introduce CPUs with the security feature.

The researchers proposed three strategies for averting a future assault. One option is to change the programme such that PAC verification results are never done under suspicion, preventing an attacker from infiltrating while incognito.

Another option is to fight against PACMAN in the same manner that the Spectre vulnerabilities are addressed. Finally, fixing memory corruption problems would eliminate the need for this last layer of protection.