MacOS – Is Mac hardware with the T2 chip vulnerable to the latest Intel CSME exploit

firmwaremacosSecurity

Based on this exploit, are recent Macs with the T2 chip affected, I ask as I wonder how much Apple relies on its own silicon vs Intel CSME.

This is a disaster, how is Intel surviving this stuff.

I read that the T2 chip has its own Secure Enclave and immutable BootROM, and it verifies the Intel UEFI ROM before it is allowed to load, and then the CPU reads this from the T2 over SPI.

So it would seem that this boot process is not weakened by a compromise of the Intel key, as only Apple can sign UEFI updates to be loaded onto the T2 chip?

Best Answer

Yes.

I was curious about this also, so I tweeted at the security researcher who discovered the flaw, this was his response:

My understanding is that on Macs with T1/T2 chips, hard disk encryption isn't affected. I don't know whether they use IPT, but DRM is certainly affected. And of course CSME arbitrary code execution is possible even if T1/T2 present (can intercept usb traffic for example)