ShadyShader is a vulnerability affecting Apple and Tesla devices

23 October 2024 2 minutes Author: Newsman

A new exploit called ShadyShader can cause Apple and Tesla devices to freeze or crash temporarily. Despite the patches, the issue remains relevant for a wide range of GPU devices.

  • Researchers at Imperva have discovered a vulnerability that affects modern Apple devices with M-series processors and can cause them to freeze or even crash. The problem is related to the way modern graphics processing units (GPUs) handle infinite loops when certain shaders perform too many calculations. The code created by the researchers triggers such a cycle, overloading the GPU, causing the device to freeze completely.
  • This problem is not limited to Apple devices. During testing, researchers also found similar problems on the Tesla, although critical driving functions remain intact. Also, the vulnerability was partially discovered on Google Pixel phones, where browsers became unusable until the device was restarted.

The ShadyShader vulnerability was first discovered by researchers at Imperva, who noticed that the code running the shaders could overload the GPU on Apple devices. Patches were released in 2023, but the threat remains relevant as other devices may also be vulnerable to similar attacks.

ShadyShader can be delivered via websites, messages or QR codes, without the need for user permission, as GPU access to content processing is automatic. Despite Apple’s fix, Imperva researchers warn that the GPU resource-intensive problem remains and could be exploited in future attacks. Although Apple has already released an update to address this issue, the ShadyShader vulnerability continues to pose a threat to many devices.

Other related articles
Found an error?
If you find an error, take a screenshot and send it to the bot.