Apple Silicon vulnerability puts data at risk, no easy fix

Apple's M-series chips are facing a serious security vulnerability that could compromise user data encryption keys.

Dubbed "GoFetch," the flaw allows attackers to exploit a quirk in the chip's design, potentially accessing sensitive information.

The vulnerability leverages the chip's data memory-dependent prefetcher, which predicts and fetches data likely to be accessed by running code. By manipulating this process, attackers can influence the prefetcher to retrieve sensitive data, including encryption keys.

Despite being a central part of the chip's architecture, the flaw cannot be easily patched, posing a significant challenge for Apple. Mitigating the issue may require changes in cryptographic software, impacting performance.

Apple refused to comment on a report. The researchers claimed to have responsibly disclosed the information prior to public release, informing Apple on December 5, 2023.