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Technology3h 15m ago

MIT researchers developed Fractal, a new operating system kernel, and used it to identify previously undetected speculative execution vulnerabilities, including 'Phantom' attacks, and design oversights in Apple's M1 processor.

Massachusetts, USA

Who
MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) team, Joseph Ravichandran, Apple
What
MIT researchers developed Fractal, a new operating system kernel, and used it to identify previously undetected speculative execution vulnerabilities, including 'Phantom' attacks, and design oversights in Apple's M1 processor.
When
Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:30:00 GMT · 3h 15m ago
Where
Massachusetts, USA ·
Why
Existing operating systems are insufficient for detailed microarchitectural security research due to instability and interference, prompting the need for a dedicated tool to study hardware behavior directly.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

The findings challenge previous understanding of M1 security, demonstrating a need for re-evaluation of current security assumptions in Apple Silicon, and provide a new, more reliable tool for microarchitecture research across the industry.

Story chain

3 events in this thread
  1. Currently Reading3h 15m ago
    MIT researchers developed Fractal, a new operating system kernel, and used it to identify previously undetected speculative execution vulnerabilities, including 'Phantom' attacks, and design oversights in Apple's M1 processor.
  2. Technology3h 15m ago
    A team at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) developed Fractal, a new operating system kernel, to study how processor chips work at a fundamental level.
    Open article
  3. Technology3h 15m ago
    Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed a new operating system, Fractal, to study microarchitectural behavior in chips, revealing previously undiscovered speculative attack vulnerabilities in Apple's M1 processor.
    Open article

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