New threat to Mac users: Apple Silicon chip vulnerability could lead to personal information leak

By: Nastya Bobkova | 23.03.2024, 23:29

University researchers have discovered a chip-level vulnerability in Apple Silicon Macs that could lead to personal data leakage.

Here's What We Know

According to their report, the vulnerability allows encryption to be bypassed and security keys to be accessed, exposing private Mac user data to hackers.

The issue affects a part of the M-series chips known as DMPs, which are designed to increase processor efficiency by pre-caching data. Researchers have found that attackers can use DMPs to bypass encryption and gain access to sensitive information.

In order to exploit this vulnerability, hackers need to bypass Apple's Gatekeeper protection, install the malware, and allow it to run for a long period of time. This reduces the possibility of a successful attack to a fairly low level.

Source: Engadget