Macbook pro retina efi update update#
However, if you are running one of the 16 Mac models identified by Duo Labs, there is a chance that your system hasn’t received any EFI update at all: iMac 7,1 to 10,1, MacBook 5,1 and 5,2, MacBook Air 2,1 and more. That leaves a security hole in the system, because although users might have the latest OS version installed, if the EFI firmware is an older version, it lacks the latest fixes of known firmware issues.Īpple released EFI updates separately, but since 2015 the EFI update is bundled in the software update Apple has been pushing out to users. What Does That Mean to Mac Users?Īfter analyzing 73,000 Macs currently in use, Duo Labs has discovered a discrepancy between the firmware versions they expected the machines to be running and the actual EFI version installed. The catch is that the flaw isn't new and seems to require physical access to the Mac in order to work. The vulnerability allowed the CIA, for example, to spy on targeted Mac users, as a so-called Vault 7 cache of secret CIA documents released by WikiLeaks show. That changes with macOS 10.13 High Sierra, which contains a tool validating the authenticity of the firmware running on the Mac. Due to the firmware's level of privileges, if a hacker can gain access to it then their attack cannot be detected. EFI is the BIOS replacement originally developed by Intel that aims to overcome the limitations of the PC BIOS.
The flaw, discovered by security researchers at Duo Labs, is in the EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) firmware, which sits beneath the operating system.
Still, Apple now has to address an industry-wide issue that leaves a portion of Macs vulnerable to hacker attacks. At every opportunity, Apple touts the security advantages of controlling both software and hardware: it's why the “It just works” slogan has become synonymous with the company.
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