Apple’s FLOP and SLAP: The New Tech Fumbles That Could Cost Your Privacy
Researchers have uncovered FLOP and SLAP vulnerabilities in Apple processors, enabling remote attacks via web browsers. These flaws, stemming from speculative execution mispredictions, can leak sensitive data. While Apple acknowledges the issue, solutions are pending. Until then, disabling JavaScript might help, but it could also break the internet—or at least your favorite cat meme site.
Hot Take:
Apple’s processors have a new party trick: leaking your secrets faster than you can say “speculative execution.” While their products might be top-notch, these side-channel vulnerabilities are a reminder that even the shiniest apples can have a few wormholes. Looks like Apple needs to keep a keener eye on their crystal ball predictions—before they leak more than just future plans.
Key Points:
- Security researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology and Ruhr University Bochum revealed vulnerabilities in Apple processors named FLOP and SLAP.
- These vulnerabilities are linked to speculative execution flaws similar to Spectre and Meltdown.
- FLOP targets M3, M4, and A17 processors, while SLAP affects M2 and A15 models.
- The attacks can extract sensitive data remotely via malicious web pages using JavaScript or WebAssembly.
- Apple has acknowledged these flaws but has yet to mitigate them.