Meltdown and Spectre are security flaws recently discovered on Intel and ARM-based chipsets.
Apple confirmed that all iOS CPUs are affected and patches are incoming. The Cupertino Technology company officially announced that all of its devices, with a small exception, are affected by the said vulnerabilities. It means that Macbooks, iPads, iPhones, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs are prone to the newly discovered problems.
Additionally, a spokesperson for the company noted that the Apple Watch is apparently safe from the Meltdown exploit.
Apple Shares An Advisory
"There are no known exploits impacting customers at this time," confirmed Apple.
The current speculation suggests that in order for a hacker to gain access via the security flaws, a particular app must be installed on the device in the first place. Therefore, all users are instructed to refrain from installing any apps or exploits from other sources other than the App Store to prevent malware infection.
Immediate Action Taken
In response to the real and possible threat brought about by the chipset exploits, Apple claims that MacOS 10.13.2, tvOS 11.2, and iOS 11.2 firmware are already designed to protect its respective products from Meltdown. Furthermore, its Safari browser is scheduled to receive patches to negate Spectre.
"We continue to develop and test further mitigations for these issues and will release them in upcoming updates of iOS, MacOS, tvOS, and watchOS," the company's support page announced.
Widespread Discovery
Earlier this week, technology experts reported their discovery of the Meltdown and Spectre exploits. Initial analysis implied that it was specific to Intel processors only.
Further research exposed that ARM-based processors are also vulnerable. Researchers acknowledge that hackers can create malware designed to take advantage of the security flaws and steal otherwise encrypted data.
On the other hand, other experts speculate that patches released to defend against the exploits could potentially slow down the systems.
Meanwhile, Apple assured its users that their patches will not affect the performance of their devices whatsoever.
Everyone Is Affected
A member of Google's Project Zero team claims that processors more than two decades old are not safe from the exploits. To be on the safe side, Windows and Apple users are instructed to keep their systems updated and malware free.
Intel shares its plans to release updates to protect all vulnerable devices soon. In fact, the entire computer industry is on its toes for any reported cases of the Spectre and Meltdown in the next few days.
