In the new Apple processor for computers, a vulnerability was found. The M1 chip feature found the developer Hector Martin (Hector Martin), he told about it on his website.
Nakhodka, a specialist called M1RACLES (from English – miracles). According to him, when developing Apple chips deliberately violated the ARM specification and deleted one of the functions. Probably, the company believed that users of the company OS, stationary computers and Apple laptops this option would not be useful.
Martin detected disadvantage allows two applications to exchange data with each other. Moreover, this process is carried out at the level of different users with different privileges. During the exchange of the program, a secret channel is created. The specialist noticed that this vulnerability cannot be corrected by updating, as it has a hardware character.
However, Hector Martin reassured users, noting that the vulnerability can hardly be used for a large-scale attack. The engineer stated that the width of the data exchange channel between two applications does not exceed two bits. Most likely, malicious programs will use others for hacking – more suitable for transmitting a large amount of information – channels.
Apple’s first devices on the M1 processor, which came to replace Intel processors, were represented in November. The company showed a stationary Mac Mini computer and MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops.
At the end of May, Bloomberg sources reported that Apple plans to carry out a complete transition from Intel processors to ARM by 2022. By the end of 2021, the American company intends to complete the development of a new chip and release the next series of computers.