A new “unpatchable” vulnerability in Apple’s M-series of chips was discovered, potentially allowing hackers access to extract secret keys and encrypted data from Macs.
New findings from academics revealed a severe vulnerability in Apple’s M-series chips, which could potentially enable malevolent actors the ability to access confidential encryption keys from MacBook devices.
The report — published on March 21 by a group of researchers from multiple United States-based universities — identified the vulnerability as a side channel exploit, which allows hackers to illicitly obtain end-to-end encryption keys when Apple chips execute commonly used cryptographic protocols.
However, unlike conventional vulnerabilities that can be remedied through direct patches, this particular issue is deeply rooted in the microarchitectural design of the silicon itself, making it “unpatchable.”
