Vulnerability found in Apple’s T2 security chip

Security company IronPeak has found a vulnerability in Apple’s T2 security chip. They claim in a blog post that the vulnerability allows would-be hackers to gain root access to a wide variety of Apple computers.

In 2016, Apple introduced the T1 security chip. Its purpose was to serve as a secondary line of defense for Apple computers; Apple referred to the chip as a guardian of certain functions. Two years later, Apple introduced the T2 security chip – it had more functions, and therefore more features, which presumably made Apple computers even more secure. Unfortunately, it appears that the T2 security chip, at least according to IronPeak, has a very serious vulnerability of its own: it allows an unauthorized user to gain root access, providing virtually unlimited access to everything on the computer, everything. except user data. But it is also vulnerable to the keylogger installation, which could capture the keystrokes of a legitimate user typing passwords, allowing access to user data and applications such as bank and credit cards. Root access also allows you to install other software, such as programs that send captured data to hackers waiting online.

Computers that have the vulnerability include most iMacs manufactured in 2020, recent iMac Pros, Mac minis from 2018 onwards, Macbook Air computers manufactured after 2018, and Macbook Pros manufactured after 2018. Apple users who want to know if their computer has the vulnerability can check System Information to see if it includes Apple’s T2 chip. Worse still for Mac owners, because the vulnerability is hardware-based, there is no patch to fix it. Users are likely to be under-resourced, as it seems unlikely that Apple will redesign the T2 chip to work without the vulnerability anytime soon.

There is good news: the vulnerability is physical, which means that a hacker would need direct access to the computer or indirect physical access, such as via a USB cable. This means that most Apple computer owners have a very low risk. The real risk lies with so-called state actors: people who use computers on behalf of government entities. If they are working with confidential information, they could be at high risk.

© 2020 Science X Network