New Security Vulnerability Discovered in Apple’s Latest MacBook Pro Processor
Apple’s latest MacBook Pro featuring the M3 processor chip has been found to have a security vulnerability, according to Georgia Tech researcher Jason Kim. This revelation raises concerns about the stability and security of Apple’s devices.
The vulnerability, known as the iLeakage side-channel exploit, has been demonstrated Kim, indicating its potential threat to all Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, and other laptops and desktops manufactured since 2020. The exploit provides attackers with unauthorized access to critical information, such as login credentials for social media accounts and email inboxes.
In a statement, Kim revealed that a remote attacker can deploy iLeakage hosting a malicious webpage that a target visits, leveraging Safari’s failure to isolate webpages from different origins. The vulnerability is rooted in the design of modern CPUs, which are susceptible to speculative execution attacks.
Despite the potential threat posed the iLeakage exploit, there is no evidence yet of its use real-world cyber attackers. According to the research team, this type of attack requires advanced expertise in browser-based side-channel attacks and a comprehensive understanding of Safari’s implementation.
The vulnerability introduced iLeakage is limited to the Safari web browser on macOS, exposing nearly all browser applications featured on the App Store to potential exploitation.
The implications of this newly identified security vulnerability highlight the ongoing challenges in securing modern CPUs, and shine a light on the importance of continuous efforts to address these issues.
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