Just about every Windows and Linux device vulnerable to new LogoFAIL firmware attack

L4sBot@lemmy.worldmod to Technology@lemmy.world – 181 points –
Just about every Windows and Linux device vulnerable to new LogoFAIL firmware attack
arstechnica.com

Just about every Windows and Linux device vulnerable to new LogoFAIL firmware attack::UEFIs booting Windows and Linux devices can be hacked by malicious logo images.

30

You are viewing a single comment

It’s not related to Windows or Linux, but as the article notes, Apple devices that use UEFI are not vulnerable (and current ones don’t use it anymore and therefore aren’t vulnerable either), so I guess that’s where the “Windows or Linux” comes from.

And I can install FreeBSD or OpenBSD on a non-Apple machine, and it will have the same security issue.

The article is written inaccurately. The issue is that the industry-standard pre-OS-load firmware patterns and interfaces (BIOS/EFI/UEFI) are vulnerable. Apple uses nonstandard/highly customized hardware, firmware, and software (because they’re more or less completely vertically integrated), and their custom stuff doesn’t have the same flaw due to that customization.

There are more OS' on PC then Windows and Linux. So they should really just say PCs running UEFI. Any PC running a different firmware like core boot or libreboot is not affected. Apple devices are not vulnerable because they don't use UEFI. Apple doesn't do the U(nified) bit and built their own EFI.

different firmware like core boot or libreboot

What's the market share of these? Are they even relevant?

Depends, definitely not in the consumer market. But coreboot is widely used in appliances. Have a look at the boards from pcengines.