A security vulnerability in Apple products equipped with M2 chips

Macs and iPads have very secure operating systems. However, they are not infallible technological products against cybersecurity threats. In fact, software isn't everything when it comes to protecting your entire computer. And now a very important security vulnerability has been discovered that affects, among other processors, the Apple Silicon M2. Do you want to know what the topic is? We tell you about it in this article!

Researchers from the specialized environment Trail bits An important security vulnerability has been exposed, the gateway to which is the graphics processing system of the Apple M2 device. That is, the GPU integrated within the SoC (System on a Chip).

In addition to Apple's own GPUs, the malfunction also affects units from Qualcomm and AMD.

Error called LeftoverLocals

Through the graphics processing unit, The vulnerability allows people who attack our computer to see a complete data history of the activity we do using the computer. This happens regardless of which operating system we use, whether it's Windows, Android or macOS, since the portal exists on the physical level.

The testing performed to discover this vulnerability was to make queries to the ChatGPT AI system, which has access to the local memory of the device and, among other things, has permissions to read data from previous processing. Through a query of this type, they were able to access activity logs.

Although the security breach allows us to see the history of our activities, It also allows chain attacks to be carried out that can impact other devices in our ecosystem. From Apple, even though they don't have Apple Silicon processors.

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These are the affected devices

Since this attack could also affect other products, the California-based company has been testing different products, which have already received their security patches.

They highlight iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, with A17 Pro processors; New MacBook Pros with Apple M3 processors And older devices that install processors such as the Apple A12 Bionic.

a17 pro

Update your device now

This security flaw was discovered as soon as it was resolved. The dedicated research team notified Apple, and Apple was able to issue the necessary security patches to protect the affected computers. Software updates are arriving at the end of 2023, so if you have not yet updated your macOS version on your M2 PC, you should do so as soon as possible to avoid continued exposure to this vulnerability.

Whatever your Apple device, check for and install the latest updates so your device isn't exposed to this vulnerability, whether it's a Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.

With the release of iOS 17.3, this error will already be resolved. However, we recommend that you do not wait for the final version to be released and move on Settings > General > Software Update.

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