Warning: Vulnerability in Apple Chips Puts Your Crypto at Risk 😱
Hackers have discovered a new way to potentially steal your cryptocurrency, and if you’re using an Apple device made in the last five years, there’s not much you can do to protect yourself. Security researchers have identified a vulnerability in Apple’s latest computer chips—the M1, M2, and M3 series—that could allow hackers to steal cryptographic keys used to safeguard your data. This includes the keys to software crypto wallets installed on vulnerable Apple devices.
The Potential Target: High-End Users
While this attack may not be practical for the average user, high-end users with significant amounts of money in their cryptocurrency wallets could be prime targets. According to Matthew Green, a cryptographer and computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University, the likely victims would be individuals with substantial cryptocurrency holdings. However, web browser encryption could also be compromised, impacting applications like MetaMask, iCloud backups, and email accounts.
“Newly discovered vuln in Apple M-series chips lets attackers extract secret keys from Macs. ‘The flaw—a side channel allowing end-to-end key extractions when Apple chips run…widely used cryptographic protocols—can’t be patched'” – Kim Zetter (@KimZetter)
The “GoFetch Exploit”
A team of scientists from several renowned universities has named this potential hack the “GoFetch exploit.” In their report, they explain that it exploits a vulnerability in Data Memory-Dependent Prefetchers (DMPs) built into the Apple chips. By gaining access to the computer’s CPU cache through these DMPs, hackers can perform a cache side-channel attack.
In a cache side-channel attack, the attacker deduces a victim program’s secret by observing the side effects of the victim program’s secret-dependent accesses to the processor cache. This experiment was validated using the Apple M1’s 4 Firestorm cores. The researchers assumed that the attacker and victim did not share memory but that the attacker could monitor any microarchitectural side channels, such as cache latency.
It’s important to note that this disclosure is distinct from the “Augury” pre-fetchers exploit announced in 2022, although it involves a similar mechanism.
Apple’s Response
The researchers notified Apple of their findings on December 5, 2023. However, more than 100 days passed before the research paper and accompanying website were made public. In response to these findings, an Apple spokesperson expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts of the researchers and acknowledged the significant impact of their work in advancing security understanding.
While Apple did not provide further comments, they pointed to a developer post that explains how to mitigate the attack. The recommended workaround involves assuming worst-case processing speeds to avoid invoking the cache, potentially slowing down application performance. Additionally, changes need to be made by creators of MacOS software rather than users.
However, according to Kim Zetter, Apple’s response fell short. Zetter tweeted that Apple added a fix for this vulnerability in its M3 chips released in October. However, developers were not informed about this fix until recently. It was only added to Apple’s developer site yesterday.
Protecting Your Crypto
For cryptocurrency users, it falls upon wallet providers like MetaMask and Phantom to implement a patch that safeguards against this exploit. It remains unclear if either company has taken steps to address this vulnerability.
If you currently have a crypto wallet installed on a vulnerable Apple device, the safest course of action is to remove the wallet from the device. However, if you’re using an older Apple device with an Intel chip, you’re not at risk.
Apple’s Security Reputation
Apple users have long considered themselves safe from malware attacks due to the design of MacOS and iOS devices. However, a separate report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky in January highlighted the “unusual creativity” in developing malware that targets both Intel and Apple Silicon devices. The report specifically mentioned malware targeting Exodus wallet users, attempting to trick them into downloading a fake and malicious version of the software.
Hot Take: Protect Your Crypto from Hackers! 🔒
The recent discovery of a vulnerability in Apple’s M-series chips has put cryptocurrency users at risk. If you own an Apple device with these chips, your cryptographic keys could be stolen by hackers. While Apple has provided a workaround to mitigate the attack, it may impact application performance. Wallet providers like MetaMask and Phantom need to take immediate action to protect their users.
In the meantime, if you have a vulnerable Apple device, it’s crucial to remove any crypto wallets installed on it to ensure your funds are secure. Despite Apple’s reputation for security, recent reports suggest that hackers are becoming more creative in targeting both Intel and Apple devices.
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