No fewer than seven serious Thunderbolt security flaws have been discovered, affecting machines with both standalone Thunderbolt ports and the Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C ports used on modern Macs.

The flaws allow an attacker to access data even when the machine is locked, and even when the drive is encrypted …

The vulnerabilities are present in all machines with Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C ports shipped between 2011 and 2020.

Security researcher Björn Ruytenberg found seven vulnerabilities in Intel’s Thunderbolt chips, and nine ways to exploit them.

1. Inadequate firmware verification schemes

2. Weak device authentication scheme

3. Use of unauthenticated device metadata

4. Downgrade attack using backwards compatibility

5. Use of unauthenticated controller configurations

6. SPI flash interface deficiencies

7. No Thunderbolt security on Boot Camp

There is no way to detect that a machine has been compromised.

Thunderspy is stealth, meaning that you cannot find any traces of the attack. It does not require your involvement, i.e., there is no phishing link or malicious piece of hardware that the attacker tricks you into using. Thunderspy works even if you follow best security practices by locking or suspending your computer when leaving briefly, and if your system administrator has set up the device with Secure Boot, strong BIOS and operating system account passwords, and enabled full disk encryption. All the attacker needs is 5 minutes alone with the computer, a screwdriver, and some easily portable hardware.

These vulnerabilities lead to nine practical exploitation scenarios. In an evil maid threat model and varying Security Levels, we demonstrate the ability to create arbitrary Thunderbolt device identities, clone user-authorized Thunderbolt devices, and finally obtain PCIe connectivity to perform DMA attacks. In addition, we show unauthenticated overriding of Security Level configurations, including the ability to disable Thunderbolt security entirely, and restoring Thunderbolt connectivity if the system is restricted to exclusively passing through USB and/or DisplayPort. We conclude with demonstrating the ability to permanently disable Thunderbolt security and block all future firmware updates.

Macs are fully vulnerable to all of the Thunderbolt security flaws when running Bootcamp, and ‘partly affected’ when running macOS.

MacOS employs (i) an Apple-curated whitelist in place of Security Levels, and (ii) IOMMU virtualization when hardware and driver support is available. Vulnerabilities 2–3 enable bypassing the first protection measure, and fully compromising authenticity of Thunderbolt device metadata in MacOS “System Information”. However, the second protection measure remains functioning and hence prevents any further impact on victim system security via DMA. The system becomes vulnerable to attacks similar to BadUSB. Therefore, MacOS is partially affected.

Further details of the Mac vulnerabilities can be found below.

Ruytenberg informed both Intel and Apple of his discoveries, but says that as the Thunderbolt security flaws are present in the controller chips, there is no way to fix the vulnerabilities via a software update.

Below is a description of how the vulnerabilities can be exploited on a Mac running macOS. This is essentially performed by fooling the Mac into thinking the attack kit is an Apple-approved Thunderbolt accessory.



3.4 Exploitation scenarios for vulnerabilities 2-3, 7 on Apple Mac systems

3.4.1 Cloning an Apple-whitelisted device identity to an attacker device (MacOS) 4

Threat model

We assume an “evil maid” threat model, in which the attacker exclusively has physical access to a victim system. The system is in a locked (S0) or sleep (S3) state, while running MacOS.

Preparation

1. Acquire a MacOS-certified Thunderbolt device.

2. Disassemble the MacOS-certified device enclosure. Obtain the firmware image from the Thunderbolt controller’s SPI flash of the MacOS-certified device.

3. Disassemble the attacker device enclosure. Obtain the firmware image from the Thunderbolt controller’s SPI flash of the attacker device.

4. Connect the MacOS-certified device to the attacker system. On the attacker system, using e.g. tbtadm on Linux, obtain the UUID of the MacOS-certified device.

5. Locate the DROM section by searching for the string DROM in the attacker device firmware image. Figure 6 depicts the DROM data structure. Using the figure as a reference, locate the appropriate offsets and replicate the MacOS-certified device UUID.

6. Compute uid crc8 and replicate the value at the appropriate offset.

7. Write the image to the attacker device SPI flash.

Procedure

1. Connect the attacker device to the victim system.

Verification

1. Observe that the victim system identifies the attacker device as being a MacOS-certified device. Figure 2 demonstrates an example scenario, showing a forged Thunderbolt device identity in the MacOS “System Information” application.



Intel commented:

In 2019, major operating systems implemented Kernel Direct Memory Access (DMA) protection to mitigate against attacks such as these. This includes Windows (Windows 10 1803 RS4 and later), Linux (kernel 5.x and later), and MacOS (MacOS 10.12.4 and later). The researchers did not demonstrate successful DMA attacks against systems with these mitigations enabled. Please check with your system manufacturer to determine if your system has these mitigations incorporated. For all systems, we recommend following standard security practices, including the use of only trusted peripherals and preventing unauthorized physical access to computers.

Η Apple προχώρησε στην αναβάθμιση των MacBook Pro 13 και 15 ιντσών, η οποία κρύβει μερικές εκπλήξεις.

Στο επίκεντρο των νέων μοντέλων βρίσκεται η 8η γενιά των τετραπύρηνων επεξεργαστών της Intel σε ότι αφορά το MacBook Pro 13 ιντσών με ενσωματωμένη Λωρίδα Αφής (Touch Bar).

Στο μοντέλο των 15 ιντσών υπάρχουν πολύ πιο σημαντικές διαφορές στις ταχύτητες, αφού η Apple παρουσιάζει για πρώτη φορά και MacBook με 8πύρηνο επεξεργαστή.

Στο συγκεκριμένο μοντέλο οι χρήστες θα πρέπει να περιμένουν διπλάσια ταχύτητα σε σχέση με το τετραπύρηνο μοντέλο, ενώ στο μοντέλο με εξαπύρηνο επεξεργαστή, η αύξηση στην ταχύτητα υπολογίζεται στο 40%.

Σε ότι αφορά το MacBook Pro 13 ιντσών με Λωρίδα Αφής (Touch Bar), υπάρχει αύξηση στο χρονισμό του τετραπύρηνου επεξεργαστή στα 2.4 GHz, με το Turbo Boost να φτάνει τα 4.7 GHz.

Με τα καινούρια MacBook Pro, η Apple προχωρά και σε μια νέα κίνηση που αφορά το πληκτρολόγιο και το μηχανισμό "πεταλούδας" που παρουσίασε πριν μερικά χρόνια, και αποτελεί κατά γενική ομολογία ένα από τα μειονεκτήματα των φορητών της εταιρείας, πηγή παράλληλα πολλών τεχνικών προβλημάτων.

Έτσι μετά την αθόρυβη προσθήκη μιας μεμβράνης στα πλήκτρα που θεωρητικά θα εξαφάνιζε το διπλό πάτημα πλήκτρων και θα τα προστάτευε από τη σκόνη -δύο από τα σημαντικότερα προβλήματα-, η Apple προχωρά στα νέα MacBook σε τρεις σημαντικές αλλαγές:


1. Η πρώτη αφορά το μηχανισμό του πληκτρολογίου και τη χρήση των υλικών που έχουν χρησιμοποιηθεί για την κατασκευή του, με τις αλλαγές στο συγκεκριμένο κομμάτι να προορίζονται στο να εξαφανίσουν το λανθασμένο διπλό πάτημα των πλήκτρων.


2. Αν και η παραπάνω αλλαγή αναμένεται να λύσει οριστικά το πρόβλημα, η Apple περιλαμβάνει όλα τα MacBook που διαθέτουν πληκτρολόγιο με μηχανισμό "πεταλούδας" σε πρόγραμμα επισκευής, με την εταιρεία να προχωρά σε δωρεάν αντικατάστασή του, είτε ο υπολογιστής βρίσκεται σε εγγύηση είτε όχι.

Τα μοντέλα MacBook, MacBook Air και MacBook Pro που περιλαμβάνονται στο πρόγραμμα αντικατάστασης πληκτρολογίου είναι τα εξής:

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015)

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016)

MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017)

MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)

MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)

Εντυπωσιακό είναι το γεγονός ότι στη λίστα περιλαμβάνονται και τα νέα MacBook που μόλις ανακοινώθηκαν, κάτι που σίγουρα προκαλεί απορίες... Σύμφωνα με την ιστοσελίδα της Apple, οι ενδιαφερόμενοι θα πρέπει να επισκεφθούν είτε ένα Apple Store αν υπάρχει στη χώρα τους είτε ένα επίσημο εξουσιοδοτημένο κέντρο service.


3. Οι χρόνοι επισκευής και αντικατάστασης ενός τέτοιου πληκτρολογίου δεν ήταν οι καλύτεροι, με την εταιρεία να προχωρά σε σημαντικές αλλαγές προκειμένου να επιταχύνει την όλη διαδικασία.

With the CHUGPLUG external battery, you won’t have to worry about running out of power while you’re traveling.

The CHUGPLUG is designed to work with 45W or 60W newer MacBooks.

You can expect up to 4 extra hours of power for an 11″ MacBook Air or 3 extra hours for the 13″ MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

It measures 9″ X 2.9″ X 1.1″ and weighs 1.1 pounds.

It accepts 100-240VAC 1.2A / 50-60Hz AC power and outputs 120-250V DC power.

You just fit it between your MacBook’s MagSafe power adapter and its power cord to charge its internal lithium-polymer battery (takes about 2 hours) or to power the laptop.

It’s coming soon from Lenmar Enterprises for $159.99.

http://www.lenmar.com/chugplug

Midway through the Mavericks installation, my Air shut itself off completely -- no warning or explanation, and it did not start up again until I was forced to manually switch it on, at which point it said it was forced to shut down due to an error. It then resumed and seemed to finish the update, but immediately thereafter shut itself down again, and now will not boot up at all. No chime, no white screen, no response at all -- there's the tiniest, almost inaudible click from inside the machine but otherwise it's as though the power button hasn't been pressed at all. I've tried the SMC reset, etc, still no response.

Until this point, I've not had any problems with the Air at all -- the only hint of anything that's made me frown is that it sometimes reverts to the sleep-mode black screen for a second or after I wake it from sleep. Nothing else at all. I also ran the Mavericks update on my rMBP, and likewise had no trouble with it at all.

Any ideas what the problem could be?


ΠΗΓΗ: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1659554

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System Requirements for 5.1.5621 (non LynxPoint):
MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2011)
MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (15-inch & 17-inch, Mid 2010)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, & 15-inch, Early 2011)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
MacBook Pro (13-inch,15-inch & 17-inch  Late 2011)
MacBook Pro (13-inch & 15-inch, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, Early 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
Mac Pro (Early 2009)
Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
Mac Pro (Mid 2012)
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Mac mini (Mid 2011)
Mac mini (Late 2012)
iMac (27-inch, Quad Core, Late 2009)
iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2010)
iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2011)
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2011)
iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Late 2012)

This download contains the Windows Support Software (Windows Drivers) you need to support 64 bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 on your Mac.

For more information on which operating systems are supported on different Mac systems, click here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5634

• The download file is a .zip file. Double click it to uncompress it,  if it is not automatically uncompressed.
• Double-click the Boot Camp5 folder.
• Copy the entire contents of the .zip file to the root level of a USB flash drive or hard drive that is formatted with the FAT file system
• When running Windows, locate the Boot Camp folder on the USB media you created in Step 3 and double click to open it.
• Double click on setup to start installing the Boot Camp Support Software.
• When prompted to allow changes, click on Yes and follow the onscreen instructions.
• Installation can take a few minutes. Don't interrupt the installation process. When installation is complete, click Finish in the dialog that appears.
• A system restart dialog box appears.  Click Yes to complete the installation. 

For more information on Boot Camp, click here: www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
Note: If you are using one of the Macs listed below, you should download Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5640 instead.
MacBook Air (11-inch, Mid 2013)
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)
iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)

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System Requirements for 5.1.5640 (LynxPoint):
MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch & 15-inch, Late 2013)
iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Late 2013)

This download contains the Windows Support Software (Windows Drivers) you need to support 64 bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 on your Mac.

For more information on which operating systems are supported on different Mac systems, click here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5634

• The download file is a .zip file. Double click it to uncompress it,  if it is not automatically uncompressed.
• Double-click the Boot Camp5 folder.
• Copy the entire contents of the .zip file to the root level of a USB flash drive or hard drive that is formatted with the FAT file system
• When running Windows, locate the Boot Camp folder on the USB media you created in Step 3 and double click to open it.
• Double click on setup to start installing the Boot Camp Support Software.
• When prompted to allow changes, click on Yes and follow the onscreen instructions.
• Installation can take a few minutes. Don't interrupt the installation process. When installation is complete, click Finish in the dialog that appears.
• A system restart dialog box appears.  Click Yes to complete the installation. 

For more information on Boot Camp, click here: www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
 
Note: If you are using one of the Macs listed below, you should download Boot Camp Support Software 5.1.5621 instead
▪ MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2011)
▪ MacBook Air (11-inch & 13-inch, Mid 2012)
▪ MacBook Pro (15-inch & 17-inch, Mid 2010)
▪ MacBook Pro (13-inch, & 15-inch, Early 2011)
▪ MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
▪ MacBook Pro (13-inch,15-inch & 17-inch  Late 2011)
▪ MacBook Pro (13-inch & 15-inch, Mid 2012)
▪ MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
▪ MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
▪ MacBook Pro (Retina, Early 2013)
▪ MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
▪ Mac Pro (Early 2009)
▪ Mac Pro (Mid 2010)
▪ Mac Pro (Mid 2012)
▪ Mac Pro (Late 2013)
▪ Mac mini (Mid 2011)
▪ Mac mini (Late 2012)
▪ iMac (27-inch, Quad Core, Late 2009)
▪ iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2010)
▪ iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Mid 2011)
▪ iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2011)
▪ iMac (21.5-inch & 27-inch, Late 2012)

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Version: 1.8
Post Date: Jan 30, 2013
Download ID: DL1627
License: Update
File Size: 982 KB
System Requirements
▪ OS X 10.6.8
▪ OS X 10.7.5
▪ OS X 10.8.2 or later

About MacBook Air SMC Update v1.8

This update addresses a rare issue on some Apple notebooks where a battery that has accumulated more than 1000 charge cycles may unexpectedly shut down or stop functioning.

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Version: 2.6
Post Date: Jan 9, 2013
Download ID: DL1623
File Size: 4.76 MB
System Requirements
OS X 10.8.2

About MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.6

This update is recommended for MacBook Air (mid 2012) models.

This update fixes a color issue with HDMI displays connected to MacBook Air, resolves an issue with Windows which can prevent MacBook Air from booting properly, and also resolves an issue where unplugging a Thunderbolt device may cause the system to freeze when waking from standby.

The MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update will update the EFI firmware on your computer.

Your computer's power cord must be connected and plugged into a working power source. When your MacBook Air restarts, a gray screen will appear with a status bar to indicate the progress of the update. It will take several minutes for the update to complete. Do not disturb or shut off the power on your MacBook Air during this update.

After update EFI ROM will be: MBA51.00EF.B02

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Version: 2.0
Post Date: Nov 8, 2012
Download ID: DL1609
License: Update
File Size: 127.07 MB
System Requirements:
OS X 10.8.2

About MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 2.0

This update includes graphics performance and reliability enhancements and improves compatibility with some USB devices.

This update is recommended for all Mac notebooks introduced in June 2012.

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Version: 2.5
Post Date: September 19, 2012
Download ID: DL1592
File Size: 4.76 MB
System Requirements: OS X Lion 10.7.4 or later, OS X 10.8. or later

About MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.5

This update is recommended for MacBook Air (mid 2012) models. This update fixes an issue where Turbo Boost does not activate when using Boot Camp, and resolves an issue where NetBoot does not function properly when using an Ethernet adapter.

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Version: 1.7
Post Date: September 19, 2012
Download ID: DL1590
License: Update
File Size: 658 KB
System Requirements: OS X 10.8.2 or later

About MacBook Air SMC Update v1.7
 
This update enables Power Nap support on MacBook Air (Late 2010) computers and is recommended for all users running OS X v10.8.2 or later.