According to Appleinsider, a network security researcher said that Apple macOS devices using Intel processors and T2 chips are vulnerable to irreparable attacks that may provide attackers with root access .
The T2 chip used by most existing macOS devices is a co-processor that can handle boot and security operations as well as different functions such as audio processing. Independent security researcher Niels H. said that the T2 chip has serious flaws and cannot be repaired .
According to Niels H., because the T2 chip is based on the Apple A10 processor, it is vulnerable to checkm8 vulnerability attacks. This may allow attackers to circumvent activation lock and carry out other malicious attacks. Hackers can use the newly exposed vulnerability to cooperate with another vulnerability developed by Pangu to circumvent the DFU export security mechanism.
Once an attacker gains access to the T2 chip, they will have full root access and kernel execution privileges. Although they cannot decrypt files protected by FileVault encryption, because the T2 chip manages keyboard access, they can inject keyloggers and steal passwords.
The vulnerability may also allow the security lock to be manually bypassed through the MDM or “find” function and the built-in activation lock security mechanism. The firmware password does not alleviate the problem, because it requires keyboard access.
Naijatechnews understands that Apple cannot patch this vulnerability without making hardware modifications, because T2’s base operating system (SepOS) uses read-only memory for security reasons. On the other hand, this also means that the vulnerability is not persistent, it requires hardware components such as malicious and specially crafted USB-C cables.
Niels H. stated that he had contacted Apple to disclose the vulnerabilities, but received no response. According to Niels H., the vulnerability affects all Mac products with T2 chips and Intel processors. Users only need not to plug in unverified USB-C devices to avoid related vulnerabilities.
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