First public macOS kernel memory corruption exploit on Apple M5 (blog.calif.io)

Article summary

A team of engineers, working with Mythos Preview, has developed a public macOS kernel memory corruption exploit on Apple M5 silicon, surviving Memory Integrity Enforcement (MIE). The exploit was built in five days and targets macOS 26.4.1. The team will publish a 55-page report after Apple fixes the vulnerabilities. The exploit demonstrates that MIE, a hardware-assisted memory safety system, is not foolproof and can be evaded with the right vulnerabilities.

Main themes

• AI-driven exploit development
• Memory corruption vulnerabilities
• MIE and MTE mitigations
• macOS security
• Vulnerability discovery and exploitation
• AI impact on security
• Software security best practices

What commenters say

• The exploit's ability to survive MIE raises questions about the effectiveness of this mitigation technique.
• The use of AI in exploit development is a game-changer, allowing for rapid discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities.
• The fact that the exploit was developed in just five days is a testament to the power of AI-driven offense.
• The exploit's success is not necessarily a reflection of a flaw in MIE, but rather a demonstration of the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between attackers and defenders.
• The real concern is not this specific exploit, but the potential for AI-driven attacks to target the vast amount of vulnerable software in the wild.
• The need for better security practices, such as keeping software up to date and using safer languages, is more pressing than ever.
• The impact of AI on security will be felt for years to come, and companies need to be prepared to adapt to this new reality.
• The idea that AI will make everything need to be rewritten from the ground up is a possibility, but it's not the only potential outcome.