December 28, 2023 at 06:42AM
The Operation Triangulation spyware targeting Apple iOS devices utilized unprecedented exploits to bypass hardware-based security. The sophisticated attack, active since 2019, used four zero-day flaws to gain access to iOS devices and gather sensitive information. Patches were released by Apple, with 20 zero-days resolved this year. A particular vulnerability, CVE-2023-38606, allowed the threat actor total control of compromised systems, raising concerns about hardware security. Additionally, reports suggest Apple’s warnings about spyware attacks on Indian individuals prompted government inquiries and requests for alternative explanations.
Based on the meeting notes from Dec 28, 2023, the key takeaways are:
– The Operation Triangulation spyware attacks targeted Apple iOS devices using four zero-day flaws to bypass hardware-based security protections, with a focus on gathering sensitive information from iOS devices up to version iOS 16.2.
– Apple released patches for the vulnerabilities throughout 2023, addressing some in January 2023, with the total number of zero-days resolved by Apple in 2023 reaching 20.
– A special mention goes to CVE-2023-38606, which allows a bypass of hardware-based security protection for sensitive regions of the kernel memory, giving threat actors total control of compromised systems.
– The spyware exploit specifically targets Apple A12-A16 Bionic SoCs using unknown MMIO blocks of registers, with the origins and knowledge of this hardware feature remaining unclear.
– The meeting notes also touched on Apple’s warnings about state-sponsored spyware attacks on Indian journalists and opposition politicians, with the Indian government challenging the veracity of the claims and reportedly pressing Apple to soften the political impact of the warnings.
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