Being an Apple user is such a huge flex! But brace yourself—because new research has uncovered serious security flaws inside Apple’s latest M2, M3, A15, and A17 chips. These vulnerabilities, codenamed SLAP and FLOP, exploit a feature meant to boost speed but instead leave your data exposed to hackers.
What Are SLAP and FLOP?
SLAP (Speculative Execution via Load Address Prediction) and FLOP (False Load Output Prediction) are new speculative execution attacks discovered by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. These flaws allow attackers to steal sensitive data, including emails and credit card details, by manipulating how Apple’s chips predict memory use.
SLAP enables hackers to access out-of-bounds memory, making it possible to extract private emails from browsers like Safari. FLOP, even more dangerous, can bypass memory safety checks to retrieve financial data, putting users at significant risk.
Apple Knows… But Hasn’t Fixed It Yet
And no, this isn’t just a theory—Apple is fully aware of these security issues. Researchers reported SLAP a year ago and FLOP six months ago, but Apple hasn’t yet released a complete fix. The company is working on solutions, but because these flaws originate at the hardware level, a full resolution won’t come until the M5 chip.
In the meantime, software updates may help mitigate some of the risks, but they won’t completely eliminate the vulnerabilities. That means every M2 MacBook Air, iPhone 15 Pro, and the latest iPads are at risk.
Should You Be Worried?
If your Mac, iPhone, or iPad is powered by an M2, M3, A15, or A17 chip, then yes—you should be cautious. While there’s no evidence yet of real-world attacks, the fact that these vulnerabilities exist means hackers could exploit them at any time.
Older devices running M1 chips or earlier are not affected by SLAP and FLOP, though they may have their own security risks.
How to Protect Yourself
Until Apple rolls out a long-term fix, you need to take precautions. Make sure your device is always running the latest software updates and security patches. Stay cautious online by avoiding untrusted websites, disabling JavaScript when not needed, and using browser extensions that block scripts.
Apple users love to brag about security—but with these latest revelations, you might want to rethink those bragging rights… at least for now.
